End of the Makilien Trilogy

Yesterday was an amazing day for me. After coming home from work and sitting down to write almost nonstop since noon, I finished the first draft of Trust, the third and final book of the Makilien Trilogy. The trilogy is now complete. I finished Trust in 4 months and 4 days, quite an accomplishment for me. I thought for sure it would take at least a year. This is a huge moment. I’ve been working on Makilien in one form or another since I was thirteen years old (almost ten years now!), and to have the final version complete is incredible. I never imagined when I started it as a teenager that anything would ever come of it.

 

I think Makilien and the characters in the trilogy mean more to me than any of I've ever written. The characters are so dear to me, and I am beyond excited about how they’ve grown and where they’ve ended up since the beginning. In books I’ve written before this, no characters have gone through as much as these, and that’s probably why I love them so much.

 

As I’ve been writing this book the last couple weeks, I’ve also been working on the final edit of Truth, and it has been very interesting to compare the two. Truth’s storyline is pretty basic to set up the characters and lay the basis for the rest of the journey. By the time readers come to Trust, I think they will be shocked. It has the most twisted, unpredictable, involved plot I have ever written. It’s been incredibly fun, though at times it has made me cry. It definitely stays true to the verse I used for the theme of the plot:

 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. - Proverbs 3:5 NASB

Throughout the book, my characters find themselves in situations where that is all they are able to do. The story really tested my writing ability. I think it’s the most emotional book I’ve ever written, even more so than Every Tear. At one point I told my mom that I don’t think I’ve ever had characters crying or near to tears so often. It was very intense at times, but I am very pleased with how it progressed and where it brought everyone. Not only did my characters grow, but I believe I did too.

 

Trust finished at 26 chapters, 27 if you include the epilogue, which is the same number of chapters as Truth. I have no idea yet of the word count since I have so much I have to type up on the computer and go back and add in. It should be around 70,000+ words.

 

Now, besides a lot of editing for both Courage and Trust, I’ll be on to my next project. It’s been years since Makilien hasn’t been my focus. So what is my next project? Well, it’s the historical/fantasy story I think I mentioned in a blog post a while ago. I won’t say too much yet, but here’s a little hint—the tentative title is Assassin. :) It’s another story I am extremely excited about.

 

Don’t forget to check www.makilien.com for all my latest updates and information about the trilogy, especially with the release of Truth so close!