Incarnate Key Original and Final Comparisons

 This is a post I've wanted to do since the publication of Incarnate Key. Something I had mentioned before was the major revision this story went through. The main purpose of the revision was to make this story more relevant to the overall series; the original was fun, and had some good ideas and details, but overall it was meaningless to Sabra's development as a character and her role in the Legacy Incarnate. 

This can also give you a good idea of the work I do on my books as both the author and editor. I don't have a huge team to back me up and do the heavy lifting for me, and so I've had to spend a lot of time making the story the best it can be before printing. While the original had some good ideas, many had to be radically altered or removed to make room for something better. (Sorry giant-clawed, giant-winged, GIANT bats!)

Thus I want to present major differences and similarities between the two versions of Incarnate Key. This probably goes without saying, especially since the book has been out for so long, but ...WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD! Enjoy!

Character and Race Concepts

 It's been a very long interim between the Incarnate Key release and this. I have a few concept pieces I've been wanting to share since November. These are really good for getting the drawing juices flowing going when I am having artist's block. The last few months have been kind of crazy, as I haven't had much time to draw at all. 

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This first one is a concept for the Molouk egg and how the chick fits into it. It's nice to work some of these ideas onto paper for future reference. It makes the world in the stories feel a bit more real!

This is Sabra the Incarnate doing her morning exercises. She works hard to stay fit, which contributes to both her physical and magical strength.

This last piece is one I think I may have shared on my old blog. I did this romantic scene several years ago in colored pencil. I believe it's based on a scene in The Legacy Incarnate where Sabra is having a dream about her and Henry. 

Thanks for reading. Hopefully I'll post more frequently from now on!

Book IV of The Legacy Incarnate: Incarnate Key LIVE!

 Hello readers,

I'm pleased to announce that Incarnate Key is now live and available for purchase on Amazon! If you purchase a book, please email me a picture of it at sathorup@gmail.com, and I will send you a free ebook version!

Still need to catch up on the Chronicles of Libera world? Check out the other books too!

The Legend of Draconite

The Legacy Incarnate

Lithia

Grieving Mothers

 Two mothers grieve in their own ways: one in silent tears, one in helpless violence. However, they find comfort and strength in each other. Based off a scene in Book 3 of The Legend of Draconite. Done in graphite.

Official Release Date for Incarnate Key (And Other News)

 Hello readers! I'm pleased to announce the release date of Book IV of The Legacy Incarnate: Incarnate Key will be October 31st -- Halloween! It will be available on the Amazon marketplace for $15.00. 

I am also pleased to announce that if you purchase a copy of any of my books, I will send you an ebook version of that book FOR FREE. Just email me at sathorup@gmail.com with a picture of your book, and I'll send you the ebook!

I personally received an author proof of Incarnate Key so I could get a good idea of the final. As you can see, it has the key art I posted about a few years ago on the spine. I had to make some adjustments to text on the front and back cover after receiving this. The final will look fantastic!

The final copies will not have that
"Not for Resale" 
band across it!

As well as containing the main story, it has an insightful Compendium that includes the following:

• Glossary
• Translations
• Pronunciation Guide
• About the Gospel of Zarem
• Magic-Making Classes
• Liberan Calendar
• Bonus Short Story: Convergence
• Bonus Excerpt from Book 3 of The Legend of Draconite: E'lsra

I've cleaned up the Glossary, and I've made the Translations section more concise and relevant to this story, which section previously included many of the elven and other translations throughout the series. The Gospel of Zarem and Magic-Making Classes sections are new sections, the latter of which I plan to keep in future LI Compendiums.

What's Next for The Legacy Incarnate

This book says at the end of the main story that the series continues in Book V: Incarnate Truth. However, I will be releasing a different Legacy Incarnate book prior to that. The working title is Incarnate Duty, and it will be an anthology! I mentioned in a previous post that I would be working on a project between Books IV and V, and originally thought of doing a novelette. I decided that a collection of short stories would be more appropriate, including POVs that readers will never see in other parts of  Legacy Incarnate.

The anthology covers 20 years, starting right after the end of Book IV and ending right before Book V. I've drafted most of the short stories, with only three more planned to go. Most of the stories have a more light-hearted tone to them than the main series, although there are more serious stories as well. While it's not necessary to read prior to Book V, it explores characters and unusual situations, and it will fill in a lot of gaps that the reader may find in Book V. 

Next Publication?

My main focus will be turned to Book 3 of The Legend of Draconite: E'lsra, although I will finish drafting Incarnate Duty on the side. I'm hoping E'lsra will get published by the end of 2025, but that's very tentative. However, this will for sure be the next publication before I start publishing more LI or anything else!

Book IV of The Legacy Incarnate: Incarnate Key Finished Front Cover and Details

 Whew, long title! Just wanted to share the updated Book IV cover with the new art, along with a few detailed shots. The book page has also been updated.

Watch as this glorious dagger goes outside the post border!

Yay for decent hands! From the tears and scars to the pose of the character to her feathery dress to the background...I love putting the little details into a painting like this, and especially a book cover. A book cover should tell a story just as much as the book itself, and I'm so excited to eventually see this in print!

Speaking of print...I plan on having Book IV published by the end of this year! Look for future updates on the blog, and happy reading!

My Favorite Medium

 Though I love to do digital art, my favorite medium will always be graphite pencil, followed closely by colored pencil. Between motherhood and everything else, I will from time to time complete a hand-drawn illustration. This past week my family camped in the Bridger-Teton National Forest, and being unplugged from much of our technology helped me focus on my hand-drawn art much more.

The first piece I completed before the campout. I had drawn out this character, but it took me several months to get to actually shading her. I was on a creative burn out and was itching to lubricate my drawing muscles, so I found the picture, sat down, and shaded it. It's a little rough in places, but I'm pleased with it nonetheless.

This character is Kierra of Karin, a character that appears in The Legend of Draconite series. She's taking a break from being awesomely sneaky to sniff a flower. I had a lot of fun doing her helmet in particular; it's supposed to resemble a dragon head, and its horns are unusually long for a Draconite helm.

This second piece I did completely at camp. I had this idea of Sabra in a pensive pose, using her armor to rest her hands on while she took a deep breath. I didn't really have an idea for a background at first, but I thought of forest, and then it kind of turned into a seaside trail. This is her in her short-haired days, between Books II and III of The Legacy Incarnate.

Fun fact about elf hair in the Chronicles of Libera: it grows pretty slow! It is also a huge health indicator for an elf. To have it suddenly removed (as was Sabra's in this case) can be traumatizing. You may notice on the cover art of LI Sabra's hair getting slowly longer, even with the large time spans between books. Now you know why.

As always, the scanner never does graphite pictures justice. I tried to edit the pictures to the original shade in GIMP, and got as close as I could. Thanks for looking!