So during this time when I was the “fangs”, I wrote The GodSpill (then titled The Humanlands) and started on Threads of Amarion. I was full of energy and inspiration, and I just kept going and going. Unfortunately, I lost the “fangs” about a quarter of the way through Threads of Amarion, and the NYC Vampire sucked me dry. Thankfully, shortly thereafter, I moved to Denver and, once I’d gotten free of that drained feeling, I began working on the story again.
I finished Threads of Amarion and the full Threadweavers story arc in Englewood, CO on March 3, 2003 at 3:00 a.m. in the morning. And yes, I set an alarm to wake up at 3:00 a.m. on March 3 to type the last word. There was a certain satisfaction in doing it. I blame this numerical fascination on my New Age mom. We talk on the phone nearly every week, and she will sometimes talk about numerology. Now, I don’t set my spiritual clock by numerology, but I figure if I can finish something significant (like my first-ever trilogy) on a set of 3s, well, why not? Even if there’s no real power behind it, the neatness of it sates my OCD. And if my mom is right and there is a kind of power behind the numbers, then so much the better.
As I mentioned before, Threads of Amarion was supposed to be the third and final book in the Threadweaver story arc. It’s not anymore. Obviously it’s not. Or hopefully that was obvious to you. If not, then I can give you a quote from my editor, and you can commiserate with her. She left a little message for me on the last page of the manuscript after she finished reading it:
“Well, I thought there were only three books in this series. Looks like I was wrong. Either that, or you’re lousy at ending a series. ☺”
(Don’t you just love the smiley-face-of-encouragement? It’s one of the reasons I love my editor.)
Well, I also thought there were only going to be three books. I, too, was wrong. And I promise I’m not lousy at ending a series. Bear with me. A fourth book is coming.
Threads of Amarion, gorged on a heavy diet of plot points, underwent mitosis at almost exactly the halfway point of the original manuscript and chopped itself in two. As I was going over the old manuscript and fleshing out the first half of the story, it just kept getting bigger and bigger until I realized there were two full stories here, and that the natural end of book 3 was after the dragon battle in Teni’sia, when Mershayn becomes the king of Teni’sia by right as well as in name.
When I discovered this mitosis-in-progress, I spent about two days brooding (I resist change), then got busy separating the Tome-That-Was-Threads-of-Amarion into the new Threads of Amarion (book 3) and the newly titled God of Dragons (book 4).
So, that is how the third volume of Threadweavers came to be, how it was once the final volume but is no longer, and how it gave birth to the final volume.
Thank you so much for reading! I hope you are enjoying the adventures of the immortal Medophae, the indomitable Mirolah, the noble Stavark, and all the rest. I look forward to sharing the conclusion soon in God of Dragons.
Todd Fahnestock
About the Author
TODD FAHNESTOCK won the New York Public Library's Books for the Teen Age Award for one of his short stories and is a writer of fantasy for all age ranges. He wrote the bestselling The Wishing World, a middle grade portal fantasy series which began as bedtime stories for his children. With Giles Carwyn, he wrote the bestselling “George R. R. Martin-esque” epic fantasy Heartstone Trilogy: Heir of Autumn, Mistress of Winter and Queen of Oblivion. He is currently working on the Threadweavers series, which includes Wildmane, The GodSpill, Threads of Amarion, and God of Dragons. Stories are his passion, but Todd's greatest accomplishment is his quirky, fun-loving family. When he’s not writing, he goes on morning runs with his daughter, who helps him plot stories. In the afternoons, he practices Tae Kwon Do with his son. In between, he drives his beloved wife crazy with the emotional rollercoaster that is being a full-time author.
Connect with Todd at ToddFahnestock.com or on Facebook at Facebook.com/todd.fahnestock/
Also by Todd Fahnestock
Threadweavers Series
Wildmane
The GodSpill
Threads of Amarion
God of Dragons (coming soon)
The Whisper Prince Trilogy
Fairmist
The Undying Man (coming soon)
The Slate Wizards (coming soon)
The Heartstone Trilogy
(with Giles Carwyn)
Heir of Autumn
Mistress of Winter
Queen of Oblivion
The Wishing World Series
The Wishing World
Loremaster
The Hate Man (coming 2019)
Threads of Amarion: Threadweavers, Book 3 Page 28