Prequel or Prequels?

Book #2 is officially done, which is actually book #1 in the series. I have to talk about this journey that was not even a bit easy or organized; no, it was a mess. The short story I initially wrote turned into a book, a novella I would say, with 67,000 words. “Luna and the City of Shadows” was published on October 3rd, 2024. I was so excited and completely unaware of how editing and publishing work that I made a mess of it, with different covers and trim sizes. I am still going through editing that seems like it will never end. Then my never-satisfied mind pushed me to write a prequel since the novella had many unexplained moments, and I thought it would be a great idea to dive into the events that shaped Luna’s character. I was writing and writing, paying attention to all the details and describing events in a more detailed way. I reached 140,000 words and understood that there was still a long way to go, so I decided to split it into two books. Now, see how a simple short story is becoming a series.

That said, the second book, book #1, is called “Before the Light,” with 125,000 words. Before I even started to write this prequel, the story had already taken shape in my mind, and I had a cover in mind that I just had to create. It’s a broken porcelain doll with human eyes. The eyes in the images are actually mine, and I love this cover because it represents the whole story. But…

Yes, there is a but. Since it’s a series, the book covers have to match, and mine don’t match at all. Of course, I had to find an illustrator to create covers for all three books. She is really talented, and we had a long conversation trying to come up with some ideas and color palettes, and I think we did. She showed me some drafts that I loved, so now I’m impatiently waiting for the final product.

For this prequel, I was planning to keep the same name “Before the Light,” just part 1 and part 2, but looking at the three books, with two having the same name, it didn’t seem right. So I decided to name the next book “Luna’s Crossroads.” I know, messy. But I’m learning from my mistakes.

“Before the Light” I have already translated into Ukrainian and Italian. I am waiting for my mom to read it, but my husband already did and was surprised by how different this one is—much, much better in writing, plot twists, and the depth of the story that brings tears to my eyes every time I read certain chapters. I truly believe that this book has the right to be read and talked about, and I can’t wait to write the last book, which will be as chaotic and intense as New York City, with drama, secrets, and more spice than I’m actually shy to put into words. It will be a curious experience.

Next step: finalizing the covers and moving forward with publishing. In September, I will start writing the third and last book, hoping to finish it within four months.

Let’s see where this will lead. I feel a little crazy about this book; it made me get a tattoo that says, “Let your dreams be your wings.” Even though I understand that I still have a lot to learn about how to fly, I truly believe that one day I will fly, and that will be one of the happiest days of my life.