Done. The second and final book of The Paruus Histories.

The Dark Arm of God is finished and ready. I have mixed emotions on this. First, this series has been an ongoing part of my life for the last two years (I started writing it toward the end of 2010). In a way, it became who I was. The story was always there with me, no matter where I was or what I was doing. It grew from various disjointed plot points into a grand and epic work. I am immensely proud of this series. Yes, it is my first polished series, and it will always be something I look back on fondly.

I have so many memories of talking about the story, as well as fighting to not talk about the story. That last is one of the most difficult things I've ever encountered. The story wanted to come out, wanted to be told. But I couldn't ruin it. I couldn't give anything away, to anyone. There was a part of me that wanted to keep it locked up, selfishly keep it to myself. But the other part of me was brimming with excitement, ready to share these characters and their stories with everyone. And now I finally can.

Two years, and the story was always there with me. It was a steady reminder that I had a goal in life, that I was working toward something great. Even when I felt I had nothing, I had this story. At times that felt far more treasured than anything else. And it taught me much needed lessons.

I learned that I could persevere, through all hardships and heartbreaks. The ups were sweeter, and the downs were a little less depressing. Writing this story became a vastly more intimate part of me than I'd ever assumed it would be. The world was mine. The characters were mine. The story was mine. It was an escape, where I thought I could do whatever I wanted. But I learned that what happened was really separate from what I wanted. The characters made the story. And, sure, parts of me are in the characters, but they became independent creatures, making their own choices, shunning most of my wishes. That is why I write. I write for the stories inside me that I haven't yet read. I write for the characters that sacrifice so much so that I might learn about myself. It feels odd, sometimes, talking about imaginary things as though they were real things, but anyone who's been immersed in a story will understand what I mean. You cheer for the characters to win, and despair when they fall. You silently pray for them when they're in trouble, and outwardly smile when they crack a joke. They become as close as family. That's what these characters became to me. They were humorous and insightful, sagacious and foolish, they were heroes and cowards, they were sons and daughters and lovers and failures. And they all were teachers.

This series is dark, I know. When I began writing The Pale Hand of God in 2010, I did not foresee where the story would take me. Honestly, I had planned (mentally) for it to be a single book. But, alas, when the ending came in Pale Hand, I realized it wasn't the ending. It was an ending, sure, but there was just so much more for the world to go through before it felt done.

I finished the first draft of Pale Hand somewhere around 2011--I wasn't wise enough to write down dates. But as soon as that draft was completed, I began in on Dark Arm. Over the next year and a half, I worked on both almost simultaneously. Once the whole story was down and done, I went back to focus solely on Pale Hand. I wanted that first book to be solid. I finished the final draft in September 2012 and put out the ebook in October. I then went to work on Dark Arm. It needed a small amount of work, which took me three and a half months. Now, it is done. The series is complete.

I have been a bit lax in my promotional work on the series, deeming it of far more worth to finish the story. With it done, I will now wade out into the waters of the world and proclaim the merits and joys of this series.

To all who've read The Pale Hand of God, I hope you enjoy The Dark Arm of God. I hope these characters grow on you, and you come to love them as I have.

I plan to start working on my next series, Visions of Eternity, right away.