Brazing Bad

Hey all.

Major apologies for the suspense. I've been trying to get my life on track again, and despite my gradual reclamation of health, things have been moving slowly, and trouble has not hesitated to bathe me in its ugly presence. At least I can watch Breaking Bad on my Xbox's Netflix. Absolutely amazing series, just saying. More after the break.

Good news first~
Thanks in no small part to your supportive feedback, I've made the final decision to finish Tartarus Infernum and Tabula Rasa, and, if there is a demand, I will also write the third book slated for the trilogy, De Abysso. That and everything beyond will be a question of reader interest. In regards to my personal crisis of faith dramatized in my previous blog, I'm simply going to put a notice at the beginning of each story stating that canon material from season 4 and beyond will be disregarded. As long as you all are okay with that, I can certainly live with it.

Setbacks~
As far as progress goes, however, I have a current crisis that I have to resolve before I can continue any creative work beyond the realm of scribbling. I'm currently writing this on a faulty school laptop because my god-tier computer's power supply has given out on me, and until I replace it, it's unable to stay on for more than 3 or so minutes at a time. I'm ashamed to admit that my timeline for getting it fixed is a question of money; hospital bills and student loans are keeping me flat broke for the time being, save occasional doting from my amazing parents, who have generously kept me out of the black hole of bankruptcy.

Extracurricular awesomeness~
I've also made another decision. It's not entirely relevant, but I feel compelled to share -- in addition to finishing the Equestrian Elite series, I am also going to rewrite it as an entirely original story without derivatives from the MLP universe and Greek mythology. I'll be able to publish it, and, in a perfect world, I may even be able to realize my dream of someday seeing it become a feature film.

It's going to have a new title and a different setting, hell, it's going to be on an entirely different (and awesome) planet. The characters will be an elven variety instead of an equine variety, but believe me when I say they'll be very reminiscent of their doppelgangers in the Elite series. Like my other original works-in-progress (that I haven't much mentioned, if at all) I'll be publishing it under a different pen name; J.F. Reed.

If you're interested, I started on the prologue to the original series while I was on a beach trip early this month, and I've since distilled it into one of the best introductions I've ever written. It's just the first part, where I touch on the basics of the world it takes place in. I'll share it below, along with some early concept art I managed to lift to Google Docs before my computer bricked.

We drift amidst a swirling maelstrom of stars in the ocean of eternity, cradled by endless voids within and beyond. Far from our outlying abode spins a vortex of denser waters; a collective parhelion swathing its tenants in celestial spectra of nigh innumerable hues. Deep within, there once sailed a lone cerulean sphere crowned by five coronal gems. Fire and ice reposed all save the favored fourth; an envied sibling doted amethyst seas and emerald isles below lavender skies, which all but veiled the six prismatic moons aloft its silvery rings. Immutable beauty notwithstanding, it was a world like many others in many ways, yet unique among all in equal share, for Cadina saw the rise of corporeal life that would alter the fate of the cosmos itself.