Circle of Light Final Edition... What's Different?

*******SPOILER ALERT******* (Don't read unless you have already read Circle of Light)

Oh my gosh! I am so excited to finally announce the final edition of my debut novel, Circle of Light. It's still not perfect and in my early days, trying to figure all of this out, I feel like I could go on and on in my edits. But I know I need to finally put it to bed and move on. I am... for the most part... happy with where it's at.

All that being said, a huge thank you to those who read the early editions of this novel and suffered through the process with me. I'm learning. Thanks for the patience!

For those of you who have asked about the sequel, draft one is done! I won't be publishing, posting or leaking the novel until I'm in a much better place than when I started experimenting with publishing my first novel. So, there is still some time before you can expect to see that one.

But, TO GET TO THE POINT!!!... The main reason for this post is to give those of you who read my first edition a the nuts and bolts of the newest version so you don't have to reread the book before you dive into the sequel. For the most part, the storyline is the same. Here are the biggest differences:

1. Brielle is a bit older. Only by a year and some change. But I needed her to be 18 in the sequel for multiple reasons. One of the biggest... Her development was accelerating at point that exceeded her years and it didn't make sense. She will be a self-sufficient woman by the end of part two and with increasing emotions and relationships, I needed her actual age to match her maturity level. So... she's a senior in high school in the final edition of Circle of Light. That's an important note.

2. I briefly, oh so very briefly, introduce a new character in New Orleans who will have a leading role in Into the Shadows. Daylen Broussard is one of the key characters of the entire trilogy. And it seemed odd leaving him out completely. So I snuck him in really quick to give readers the briefest glimpse into what's to come. For those who didn't notice, that impromptu trip to New Orleans was a major setup for the sequel.

3. Her relationships, particularly with boys, are slightly toned down. I want Brielle to understand her own strength and be an independent young woman. This fact is going to really come to light in the sequel and hit its climax in the final book. But to set her up, I wanted people to realize she isn't super attached to Tyler at all. And even her relationship with Tristan isn't quite as intense as it was in the first version. Her naivete leads her to believe she's attached to Tristan permanently. But she is above boys. Period.

4. One last note, it's PG-13. I removed the 'F bombs' I'd dropped. :)

I think that's the pretty much the major points. There were many minor edits but nothing else that I can think of where purposefully altered events or facts.

Again, thank you sooooooo much to everyone who read that early version. You are the best! And I really hope you stick around to find out what happens next. The sequel is leaps and bounds, lightyears ahead of the first novel IMO.

THNKS! <3