Return to Roanoke?
Recently, several people have asked about the next Book of Unexpected Enlightenment. While this makes me happy, it also makes me quite sad.
I cannot write the next book until I finish my current one, and writing is going slowly. Not because of any problem with the book, but because…
A year or so back, I retired from editing so that I could write full time, but since John retired, I have had to take up editing again in order to pay bills. In the last six months, much more time has been spent working than writing. I have read and edited some lovely works, but it is painful to see the date of the next novel release retreat into the distance.
But while I have not written another novel about Roanoke Academy in the last few years, I have written a number of short stories.
It occurs to me that many of you have not read many of those stories, as they are spread out over many anthologies.
So I am considering running a very small Kickstarter, say $250 to gather funds to typeset two volumes of short stories, so that all the Roanoke short stories would be available in one place.
I am considering two volumes:
Tales of Roanoke Academy—including stories about Rachel and her friends, stories set at Roanoke written by two other authors, and a story set at the Lower School
Stories of Rachel and Her Friends:
The Unexpected Rescue of Sigfried Smith — takes place during spring break (Book Six)
Rachel and the Missing Laundry — takes place at the end of the school year ( Book Six)
Rachel and the Real Olympics — takes place at the end of the school year ( Book Six)
Frozen Chicken Master — takes place Yule of Rachel’s sophomore year
Good as Gold — unclear when it takes place, stars Lucky.
Roanoke Academy Through Other Eyes
How Do You Get To A Magic School? by Erin N H Furby
But Is It Magic? by Erin N H Furby
Should the Punishment Fit the Crime by Erin N H Furby
Crush It by Erin N H Furby
The Phoenix and the Student by Erin N H Furby
Digging Two Graves by Ben WheelerThe Lower School
See You Down the Road — this story is about Kora Chandler, whom Rachel will meet her Sophomore year, and Od Rune, who was mentioned to Rachel when she was in the Foothills of Heaven.
Before Roanoke: Tales of Greater Sideria—containing the many stories I have written about various Roanoke characters before they came to the Veiled World.
Ring of Sounding Brass — the previous life of Astrid Hollywell
Gaslight Jungle — the previous life of Charlie Fairweather, Laurel Griffin’s boyfriend
Merry by Gaslight — the previous life of …well…it is clear by the end
Hildy and the Steam-Powered Hounds of Hella — the previous life of Hildy Winters
Odin’s Hundred — the previous life someone at Roanoke who is different now.
Camelot’s Understudies — a story about someone Rachel will meet later
The Delinquent Life of Zoë Moth — the previous life of Zoë Forrest
My idea is to try to raise money for the typesetting and, if it does well enough, for a simple cover.
If the Kickstarter does well, I might offer to write an additional story or two for the volumes as stretch goal rewards. Stories that I could write, if the backers wished, include:
These titles (except the second one) are subject to change.
“Lucky and the Rabbits Down Under” — The Young Angels’ Society (The Seventh Book of Unexpected Enlightenment) will open in September of Rachel’s sophomore year, but that summer, she and Sigfried will visit Magical Australia. I could write a story about that visit.
“The Man With All The Weapons” — the Previous Life of Vladimir Von Dread
“The Princess and Pestulence” — The previous life story of a young woman with the yeth hounds from The Sixth Book of Unexpected Enlightenment, whose name Rachel does not know.
“The Danger Club” — the previous lives of Valerie Hunt, Salome Iscariot, Solon and Solomon Drake, Penny Royal
“Flops-Over-Dead Chick” — the previous life of Xandra Black
“The Marshes of the Lamia” — The previous life of Magdalene and the Fetch
Also, I have a short story about Gaius’s prior life that I will not generally share due to spoilers, but which I could offer to backers directly as a stretch goal, along with the two stories where Rachel visits the books of Christopher G. Nuttall
If any of you have stories you would like me to write, let me know.
I have read all these books with, and to, my oldest daughter, and cannot tell you how much they mean to me, both in terms of storytelling and how much joy they've brought every night we've read them.
I've purchased a couple of the Magical School books, but would love to have collections of Roanoke stories in one place. I would gladly help find this.
I just asked my daughter which stories she would want to read and she picked 'The Man with all the Weapons' and 'The Princess and Pestulance.'
She's very excited to know the next book's title. We are both eagerly awaiting the continuation of Rachel's adventures.
And I would have picked Lucky's story. Magical Australia needs more story time.
Yes I will fund it!