The best thing about writing (and reading) your second book of a series is that you know the worlds the stories inhabit. This leaves you free – as a writer – to dig deeper into your character’s personalities and motivations and to ponder if they are creatures of free will or bound by destiny. That’s the path along which The Malign Legacy will take you. When a fateful legacy exists, will our characters succumb to it or rise above it?

I’ve been writing the second book of the Malign Universe series over the past few months and I hope to answer some of these questions and I hope some of the new characters will add insight.

There’s the princess Setiyan, Jax and Linnayen’s wild and beautiful daughter who has a knack for getting herself into trouble. Luckily she has a sister, Calin, whose level head and gift for strategy have got Seti out of trouble many times in the past. Will it still do so, though, when the sisters are up against the charismatic, handsome Kalik Denkaun, an emerging leader of the tribes of Autabron? His drive and ambition unleash powerful forces that will bring chaos to an entire planet. 

Then, there’s an old flame in Jax’s past whose powers of manipulation – both sexual and political – could spell the end of his marriage. After twenty-five mostly happy years, will Linnayen lose the love of her life? And will a dark secret from her past mar her future happiness?

But new heroes are on the horizon. The brave and resourceful Decker Finn whose job it is to protect the headstrong princess – if only she’ll let him – and the dashing, dark-haired Falvii Min whose charms could melt an iceberg but apparently not the heart of the woman he loves.

I’ve had such a good time writing this next chapter in the lives of Jax and Linnayen. We’ll visit the scorched desert world of Autabron and wind down through its underground caverns and there’s a return to the cobalt pools and deep green forests of Hutho – landscapes rich in secrets and dangers.

I hope it’s a journey you’ll come on with me. The Malign Legacy (Book Two of the Malign Series) will be available in November 2020 as both an e-book and in paperback from all leading booksellers.