The
second novel in an epic steampunk horror series, MIDNIGHT SKY is the sequel to
CRIMSON SKY, where secrets buried in the past are uncovered, and choices are
made that will affect not only the lives of desperate characters, but of their
world as a whole…
There are secrets, there are betrayals, and there are
sacrifices…
The Behemoth has been destroyed, and the bloodthirsty
Hellions seem to have left Westraven. But Claire Abernathy’s mind is not at
ease. A terrible disease plagues her sister, appearing to have been brought on
the Vesper, the leader of the Hellions beyond the tear between worlds– the
Breach.
To save Abby and stop the Hellions for good, Claire
must find the machine her parents built before the attacks, and fix it before
the monsters return. To do so, she needs the help of her crew, and must ignore
the secrets and rivalries between her captain and the man she saved.
Because the Hellions are not the only dangers
following Claire. Twisted humans and old enemies surface to stop her and
destroy all she loves. While she is determined to endure the trials, a single
betrayal could shatter the hope of a better world, and force Claire to make a
choice that will cost her dearly…
Buy it here:
MIDNIGHT
SKY continues its journey in Westraven, following the aftermath of the Behemoth’s destruction and the freeing
of its citizens after a decade of oppression and terror. Though the skies and
streets of Westraven have been cleared of any bloodthirsty Hellions, young
engineer Claire Abernathy and the crew of the Dauntless Wanderer have their hands full. They’ve been unable to
find the location of the ship Claire’s parents used to locate the Breach– the
tear between worlds that brought the Hellions and their horrors into the once
glorious trade city– which could prove vital to sealing the Breach and
locking the Hellions away for good. When Claire’s younger sister Abby suddenly
becomes violently ill, Claire begins her expedition to uncover the true story
of how the Breach was opened. She hopes to find a solution that will close the
Breach forever, but she begins to uncover truths about those she trusts which
could force her to make a sacrifice that will cost her everything she
loves.
MIDNIGHT SKY was probably the
most challenging novel in the series to write. Sequels need to carry the events
of the first story and act as the gateway to the grand finale. I wanted this
story to have a dramatic end, but I needed events to carry the story and close
certain questions. I was excited to delve back into the world of Westraven and
add new history to the story. I decided to focus on the backstories of Claire’s
parents, since their actions are crucial to the series and the story as a
whole.
The map I sketched of
Westraven became more detailed, and I think my favorite setting to write in
this story was the Barren, a haunting, once militarized portion of Westraven
that holds history for more than one member of the Dauntless crew. World-building is one of my favorite things to
write about, and I was excited to jump back into Westraven and expand its
setting.
Another exciting element was
the love triangle between Claire, Sawyer, and Riley. I’d always planned for a
rocky relationship between Claire and Sawyer, given their strong wills and
butting-heads, but I’ve never written a love triangle. Riley was a late
addition to the DARK SKY universe,
and I was so glad to include him. His story is a complex, terrifying one, and
since he seeks Claire’s affection, it forces Sawyer to consider his attitude
when the risk of losing Claire’s heart becomes evident. He doesn’t trust Riley
and fears for Claire’s safety, but to win her over he’ll have to change. By the
time the story was over, I could tell that all of the characters had grown, though
Sawyer’s arc was perhaps the most apparent.
Starting the story took a
little longer than I intended, but I was flying through it by the end. The
final scenes were written at 2:00AM because I couldn’t sleep without the idea
jotted down. I was very happy it ended the way it did, considering what will be
coming in the final novel. Since MIDNIGHT SKY grew so close to my heart, I
decided to put more effort into its promotion, seeking the help of XPresso
Tours and En Pointe Author Services to help with blog tours, release blitzes,
and review opportunities. I’m so pleased to have taken that risk, since it has
definitely paid off.
There was a fair amount of
editing recommended by both my Beta reader and my editor, but I was grateful
for their insight. I constantly strive to improve my writing, and correcting my
bad writing habits helps produce a stronger story.
One of the best moments in
this journey was seeing the cover for MIDNIGHT SKY, created by Deranged Doctor
Design. They blew me away with the CRIMSON SKY cover (and every other cover
they’ve made for me), and I decided to put a little more insight into what I
wanted from the sequel’s cover. The result was stellar. I couldn’t be happier
with the look of the cover, and am dying to see what they’ll create for the
final novel and two novellas of the DARK SKY series.
Writing sequels is always
daunting. You want to carry on with what readers love, but you also want to
introduce new elements to make the series stronger as a whole. I’ve never
written an ending like this before, so I hope my efforts paid off. I know that
I’m happy and proud and passionate about MIDNIGHT SKY, and I think new readers
and fans of the previous novel will find it to their liking.
Q & A: Amy Braun and Midnight Sky– MINOR SPOILERS BELOW.
Q: Did you have any specific events in mind when you
began Midnight Sky?
A: For the
most part, yes. I knew I wanted to clear up basically all of the secrets
carried over from Crimson Sky since
the final novel will have lots of action. That meant many of the characters and
their relationships had to grow. To me, this feels like a short novel. But
reading over it, I realize how much occurred and how deeply it might impact
readers. I think the only major event I really, truly planned concerns Riley.
After introducing him in Crimson Sky,
I knew I wanted him to be absolutely integral to the plot. His big event
doesn’t come until the end of the novel, and I have to say, I was thrilled to
get to that point. I’ve never really written a cliffhanger before, and I have
to say that I understand why authors love them so much. As a reader, they can
be a beautiful nightmare (read Julie Kagawa’s Eternity Cure if you don’t believe me), but as an author? Talk
about exciting!
Q: What
challenges did you face writing Midnight
Sky?
A: It was
all in the details! My knowledge of technical things is basic at best. I
definitely don’t have the skills Claire has, and I spent a lot of time
researching engineering terms and coming up with ideas to help her use her
abilities. I had to really get in the mindset of Claire and explain how certain
things worked in terms that, well, I understood.
One scene kept me up until around 2:00AM because I consulted a technician
friend of mine who worked on an oil field. He gave me an idea about oxygen
tanks and flamethrowers, and soon I had a crazy idea that kept me up until I
wrote the last page of the epilogue. I loathe writers block, but once I get
past it, I refuse to stop writing.
Q: Is there anything you wish you’d kept in Midnight Sky? Any deleted scenes or
other secrets?
A: Not
really. One of the comments I received from my Beta reader was that I should
delve more into the stories of side characters Gemma and Nash. I was already one
step ahead, having written two prequel novellas centering around them and their
introduction to Sawyer’s crew. I also introduced another new character named
Moira at the Beta reader’s suggestion, and was happy to add her. I love
building characters and became more attached to her than I realized. For the
most part, I concentrated on the story I was building, knowing that there were
a couple secrets I could leave until the final novel.
Q: Are you Team Sawyer or Team Riley?
A: This is
kind of a double-edged question. From a writer’s perspective, I can say that
I’m Team Sawyer. I love writing his mood swings, even though I know they must
drive some readers (and certainly Claire) crazy. Since the third and final
novel will be told in two perspectives, I wanted him to grow and be prepared
for all the madness he sent his way. Plus, it was a lot of fun to write his
romance attempts with Claire. All this being said, as a reader, if I didn’t
know anything about this story or the pasts of the pirate and the soldier, I
might be more inclined to join Team Riley. Who doesn’t love a damaged man who
can still be kind and generous despite all the horrors he’s endured and
continues to be traumatized by, and who’s not afraid to stand up to the
self-proclaimed alpha male of the group to fight for what he desires?
Q: Can you go into more detail about the final novel
and the novellas?
A: I can… but
what fun would that be? Since I mapped out the rest of my writing and release
schedule for the year, here’s what I’m willing to share: The next Dark Sky story will be an ebook prequel
novella called Amber Sky, which will
be released October 2016 and told from Nash’s perspective, focusing on his time
with his old marauder clan before he met Sawyer. Following that story will be a
short story called Engineered Deceit. I
wrote it on a whim for Mocha Memoirs Press’ upcoming steampunk horror
anthology, Gears, Ghosts, and Grimoires,
to be released in November. It’s a
shorter prequel with Sawyer as the lead voice and telling a story about what
happens when someone really loses
their mind after The Storm. December will be Smoke Sky, another prequel novella featuring Gemma as she worked
her way into Sawyer’s crew and Nash’s heart. Finally, the last novel in the Dark Sky series– Obsidian Sky. It will be released in
February 2017 and told from both Claire and Sawyer’s points-of-view. I loved
writing the final story, and I hope the novellas and short stories will
continue to build the hype.
Amy
is a Canadian urban fantasy and horror author. Her work revolves around
monsters, magic, mythology, and mayhem. She started writing in her early teens,
and never stopped. She loves building unique worlds filled with fun characters
and intense action. She is the recipient of April Moon Books Editor Award
for “author voice, world-building and general bad-assery,” and the One Book Two
Standout Award in 2015 for her Cursed trilogy. She
has been featured on various author blogs and publishing websites, and is an
active member of the Writing GIAM and Weekend Writing Warrior communities. When
she isn’t writing, she’s reading, watching movies, taking photos, gaming, and
struggling with chocoholism and ice cream addiction.
She
has short stories in various horror and urban fantasy anthologies such as Call From The Grave, Hotel Hell, Survivalism
in The Dead Walk: Volume 2, Dismantle in The Steam Chronicles, Lost
Sky in Avast, Ye Airships!, Secret
Suicide in That Hoodoo, Voodoo, That
You Do, Bring Back The Hound in Stomping
Grounds, Charlatan Charade in Lost in the Witching Hour, and her award
winning short Dark Intentions And Blood in
AMOK!
More From Amy Braun
CURSED
DEMON’S DAUGHTER | DARK
DIVINITY | DAMNATION’S DOOR
DARK SKY
CRIMSON SKY
STANDALONE NOVELS AND NOVELLAS
STORM BORN
PATH OF THE HORSEMAN
NEEDFIRE
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