Thank you for reading this not-so-short story. It has been incredibly fun to write. Before I address the cliffhanger ending that might have some of you upset with me, let me give some background and context for the story.

When I finished writing Fate of the Redeemed, I was a bit tapped creatively. I tried to plow through, but I started hitting walls of not knowing what comes next and the trouble of continuity that comes with a complex story world spanning multiple books and stories.

So I decided to take a break and write some independent stories. For the first story, I had this idea of a guy having a cup of coffee with a demon, sort of in a Twilight Zone style setting that would have a basically happy ending. I also thought it would be fun to post the rough draft and let people give me input on what was working or not working and what should happen next. I didn’t get a lot of direct input, but I saw that people were reading and enjoying it, so that made it worth it.

After the second part was posted, I realized this story had some twists to it, and I decided to just let it happen in the way that comes most naturally. So the main character has some secrets, but I didn’t know what those were as I was writing. I don’t do the whole discovery writing thing, normally. I usually let a story idea bounce around and brew in my imagination for a long time, and then I sit down and plot it out in a very meticulous way before I start drafting. That didn’t happen with this story. 

I was continuously surprised by the way things were unfolding, and I just allowed myself to get into it and enjoy the journey. Imagine my surprise when I realized that the battle between the angels and demons in the spirit realm connected to the Journey of Fate series. I had on purpose written this story separate from that universe, but God has a way of connecting things we can’t see. I put the Lord in the driver’s seat, praying before my fingers touched the keys on my laptop, and I watched this story come to life along with readers. When the timing felt right, I changed the name of the story to “Keys of Fate” to further solidify its place in the Fate series. I actually have a lot of fun trying to figure out how to use the word “fate” in the titles, and there is a very specific method to these titles that I’m not sure anyone has picked up on, yet. Let me know in the comments if you’ve figured out the naming convention.

So, who is the “Shadow Man” mentioned in the last scene? I can’t give that away just yet. I do know that part, but how it all comes together is beyond me at the moment. I’m just as anxious as you to find out, but I’ve learned that this journey is just like walking with God: It takes patience, and we’re supposed to appreciate the journey more than the destination. I can only say that this story comes after Fate of the Redeemed, and the next book in the Journey of Fate series will connect these. In order to understand the context of the war that is stretching the heavenly host thin, you’ll probably want to read “Angel of Fate,” the short story prequel to Fate of the Watchman. 

And, for fans with an eye for detail, there is an Easter egg in Part Twelve of “Keys of Fate.” 

So where does the series go from here? 

For one, I need to emphasize that “Keys of Fate” is a rough draft. The revised draft will probably be a little longer, but I intend to keep it as a serial story on the blog. There are some things I need to revise in order to remove plot gaps, and I want to touch up the writing itself. 

Two, I want to do more short stories in the series because I have a couple of ideas that don’t mesh as parts of the books, and there’s not enough content to them to make them into novellas or novels. I also want to experiment with the mediums. Obviously I’ll have to get approval from the publisher for certain things because there are contractual obligations involved. One of the things I’d really like is for one of the short stories I have in mind to make it on the Untold Podcast to be dramatized. It’s a great show if you like audio and you’re into edgier stories.

Three, I’ve really discovered myself as a supernatural writer who likes to blend genres. The ending of “Keys of Fate” skirts the horror genre, but I don’t have a desire to write full-blown horror. If you’ve ever read “The Dark Tower” series by Stephen King (read at your own risk; it is not Christian fiction, and there is a lot of disturbing content), you get what I mean by blending genres. 

Fourth, I can say that I do know the titles and basic plots of the next two novels in the series, and I want to get to work on those soon. I don’t, however, want them to be released individually. Although they won’t bring the series to a close, I think they should be read back-to-back. The reason for that is that one picks up right after Fate of the Redeemed, and one is actually a parallel novel to Fate of the Redeemed. There’s no other way for me to tell the larger story without doing it this way. There’s just so much to the story! The titles for those books are Shadow of Fate and Fate of the Fallen. They are going to be an absolute thrill ride, and new elements such as psychological warfare will be introduced. 

Recommended reading order so far:

Angel of Fate - short story prequel to Fate of the Watchman

Fate of the Watchman - novella

Time of Fate - the next short story I plan on writing. I’m posting it here to make myself accountable for getting it written.

Fate of the Redeemed - full-length novel

Keys of Fate - novelette in serial

I’ll leave you with my thanks for taking the journey of fate with me! In the words of Draven, “Be seeing you.”