It has been unchained!

The Unchained, the brand new novel, has been released and is now available to order from most eBook platforms and through Createspace and Amazon in paper back format.

On a personal note, I must say that whilst I enjoy writing generally, this book particularly I feel is one of my finest in recent years. The story even had me in tears at one point, and I was the guy writing it! I will also say I had to change the story slightly to keep it suitable for general audiences, but there is a particularly unpleasant subtext to what happens to Emelia Lockwood, which I am sure many people will get and also understand why it had to be treated sensitively so younger audiences can still buy. For personal reasons, I also could not bring myself to write it as originally intended. But for Jebediah Lockwood, my heart went out to him, and I also think that shows in the writing. He goes through a lot.

I must also admit whilst this is a standalone book, if it proves popular, I might write another with the characters. And as some may know, my characters have a tendency to put in cameos or re-appear. Even when they are technically dead!

So ..... this is a standalone book, not one of the trilogies or the forthcoming four-book set (ooops, spoilers!) but the first of a number which are being released with the intent of enabling new readers to pick up and sample without reference to previous titles.

At the moment all I am saying about future releases is that The Unchained is the first of such books; soon to come and early next year there will be Pay Dirt: Dishonest Intentions, and later next year Augmented Genocide and (the re-titled) The Lost Kindred. All are very different, with different writing styles and characters, backgrounds and plots. The Unchained is dark but hopeful, Pay Dirt is a bit of a poke at *something* about society, Augmented Genocide is just deeply dark and again will need careful editing to avoid upsetting subjects because of its subject matter, and The Lost Kindred covers two centuries up to and beyond the start of Age of Secession! And features the introduction of something very new to the AoS. So, all very different, all standalone, but all part of the AoS universe, and any one a good place to start if you have not tried Age of Secession before. If you have, then you know - some - of what to expect. And you will be pleasantly surprised at where its going (I hope!).

Anyway .... for now, the Unchained is released and available. Buy, enjoy, and let me know what you think.

All the best,

Roger Ruffles