I wanted to send a big thank you to everyone who tuned in for my Q&A on Wednesday night (Nov 18th). I was extremely happy with how everything went, and feel like we established a great dialogue. There were a lot of great questions, both those submitted in advance and during the stream. The level of engagement was very encouraging and appreciated. It's nice to see how many people are looking forward to receiving their copies!

For anyone who missed the Q&A, you can check it out on my facebook Author page here: 
https://www.facebook.com/ChadhamThomas

Raian Garen was born in the city of Elmstille, nearly a thousand years ago. Elven parents are rarely involved in their children's lives, leaving Raian to be raised by Wityam and Palena Dak. Wityam is a blacksmith and swordsman, and trained Raian in the ways of battle and honor. 

At an early age, Raian discovered the teachings of Valnya, Goddess of Justice, and has since dedicated himself to living in her image. Valnya teaches that without Justice, all would fall into chaos and darkness. It is the job of warriors like Raian to deliver justice on her behalf and save Nea'K'Oxa from a horrible fate.

In his quest to see Justice maintained throughout Nea'K'Oxa, Raian founded the Stormane with another follower of Valnya and his childhood friend, Neykolaz. Through their career the Stormane have seen significant changes in their numbers, swelling to as many as 50 and sinking to just Raian at points. The Stormane are renown for their upstanding reputation and professionalism, which is built on the back of Raian.

Helyan is the son of Avuran and Cleryse Brightfoal. He was born in Feyerindol, along the coast of the Elven Sea. As a child, Helyan suffered a near-death experience in the barn fire that ended his mother's life. Since that day he has dealt with visions that he claim to be real, but others often dismiss as hallucinations. Helyan is a kind-hearted young man who wants to protect the innocent and make his father proud.  ​One of Helyan's greatest fears is that his father will forget about him and move on in the world without a son.

During his years living in Mulden, Helyan has become increasingly reclusive, moving from his father's home into an apartment that is little more than a rented bedroom. His closest friend is a sorcerer named Deykin, who Avuran originally hired to "cure" Helyan's visions. Though they were unsuccessful in discovering the source of the episodes, the two spent long hours together and developed a strong connection. After Avuran released Deykin from his service, however, their time together quickly evaporated, and it has now been weeks since Helyan's heard anything at all from the sorcerer.

My first month as an officially published author has come to a close, and it's been an exciting one! I wanted to post an update for everyone about the month's progress, as well as a brief teaser of what's in store for November!

Pre-orders:
The local pre-orders for A Light from Below were an even bigger success than I had hoped, with nearly 50 copies sold! As a reminder for everyone who participated in the pre-orders, it includes a signed hardcover, first edition copy of A Light from Below, which will be personally delivered (where possible) following all appropriate safety measures. Unfortunately I can't guarantee when that will happen as of yet, though I am confident it will be by the end of the month. The order has been placed with my supplier and should be on route, however given current COVID restrictions some deliveries are facing significant delays. Once I have the books in hand, I will be in touch with each of you!

Continuing Sales:
For those of you who are curious, A Light from Below is already available for purchase through retailers like FriesenPress and Amazon. I haven't begun to heavily advertise their availability yet because I want to ensure the supply chain has been updated and is functioning properly before doing so. That being said, I am really happy with the number of organic sales I have already seen come through! eBook, paperback, and hardcover have all seen sales through both FriesenPress and Amazon.ca, which is really exciting progress for me. I have also begun to organize a number of locations to put the book for sale on consignment. Having physical copies in stores will be a huge moment for me.

Halloween:
Incase anyone is curious how halloween is celebrated in Nea'K'Oxa, we watched Silence of the Lambs. (great movie, Lauren couldn't fall asleep after!) As far as costumes go, Lauren looked elegant as Athena, the Greek Goddess of War, and I was dressed as a future best selling author. (Nothing wrong with dreaming!)

November:
With month two already underway, there is one significant event coming up that everyone should keep their eye out for: a Facebook Live signing and Q&A! Once I have the pre-order copies in hand, I will be hosting a live signing and Q&A where people can tune in to learn a little bit more about me as an author, the novel A Light from Below, balancing life as a full time student, future works in Nea'K'Oxa, or whatever else may strike your fancy! The event will be run live on facebook, and there will also be an opportunity to register in advance through Eventbrite. If you have any questions you would like to ask, feel free to send me a message on facebook, twitter, or instagram, or an email at Chadhamthomas@gmail.com.

Cheers, and happy November,

Chadham Thomas