The Sabbath and Covid: What is the Connection? | Fr. Chris Alar, MIC (video title)

Gloria Polo Struck by Lighting: Standing at the Gates of Heaven and Hell | Hearts of the Holy Family (video title)

One more time...

It feels good to start writing again! I should write a post about what it takes in planning and perseverance in writing such a long series, although the inspiration for such an undertaking is already out there—Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski.

The final book of Starfire Angels: Forgotten Worlds—Book 25—is now started. I had to read through the first drafts of Books 23 & 24 after publishing 22 to prepare better for this and fix some details so it all fits together neatly in this conclusion while I reread the series from the beginning a little at a time on the treadmill to refresh myself on some of those early details. That took a while. There are a few small gems from the first seven books that I will bring full circle in this conclusion, details I had forgotten were there. Those seeds were planted better than I expected. 

It’s been a few months since I started editing. It feels good to get back to writing!

I expect to finish this next spring, and then I’ll be editing Books 23, 24, and 25 all in a row to wrap up the series by fall 2027.

If you want a thrilling but clean space opera that has been compared to the best of Star Wars by at least a couple readers, is based on Christian beliefs but written so anyone can enjoy it, has an ensemble cast of distinct characters, and is written as a series arc in episodic complete stories in each book, you may enjoy this.

I’ll share a link below. I’m also supporting Spotlight on Indie, so I’ll share my profile link to that too:

https://melanienilles.com/books/series/?series=Forgotten%20Worlds

https://spotlightonindie.com/authors/melanie-nilles-m-a-nilles

More good points about modesty... (video)

This is a lesson for men and women and a bit of a summary of recent uproars in media and some of the points in the videos I posted previously.

Modesty is a virtue that values the soul over the body (videos)

Immodesty stated in the video (copied from one of the comments under the video):

1. Crop Tops
2. Unbuttoned Shirts- bare chest (men)
3. Tight Skirts
4. Ripped Jeans 
5. Skimpy Swimwear
6. Revealing Wedding Dresses
7. Violent/ Obscene Printed Clothing

Also stated that revealing aging bodies for those who are getting older with the intention of approval or “feeling young” is sinful. 

8. Garment of poverty -> the closest garment to Jesus’s. Means nothing to prove.

The Submissive Wife: The Right Way to Love Your Husband (w/ Mary Stanford) (video title)

cover reveal...

Last night, I sat down and put together the cover for Book 24. I searched a while for the perfect image, uncertain at first what I wanted, but that idea evolved.

I tried several, but when I plugged in this, it fit perfectly. I don't mean fit as in size, because I cut out most of the actual image. I mean the idea of the focus here.

You'll have to wait to learn about an exploding planet, but it will be explained, and it's an important piece of the story.

Final three update

I have a pattern that I've followed throughout the writing of the Forgotten Worlds series:

1. Write two books ahead of what the next published book will be,
2. Go back and edit the next book to publish,
3. Read through the two books after #2 (one right after and the one just finished drafting), which works out great because I'm still in editing mode and have had enough of a break to start seeing any major issues,
4. Make any rewrites and notes that jump out at me in #3,
5. Then write the next book (after catching up and refamiliarizing myself with what has happened between publishing the latest book and finishing the most recent draft)

This has worked out very well throughout this whole long series.

Now that Book 22 is published, I've been rereading Book 23 and seeing some things that needed a lot of work. These last three are difficult, because events are ramping up for the series climax after all the episodes. Each book has its own themes, motifs, and plot that tie into the larger series plot. I'd like to think I'm pulling it off, but you tell me. I'm making it happen according to my vision, at the least.

The series started out with the first five books laying a foundation of the characters, worldbuilding, and overall plot structure. I saw that in planning but even more so in rereading. By book five, there's a clear purpose for the characters and a solid foundation of how things work in the Starfire-verse I've established, although much of that was set ten years earlier with the first Starfire Angels (young adult) book. By book six, I had a clear pattern and the characters of this expansion of the Starfire-verse had their purpose.

Getting back to my point of Book 23, I finally hammered away at the blurb/description and refined it into the main ideas. I also see the final stinger scene issue that I couldn't figure out while writing the first draft. What I had written felt contrived, but it was something, at least a placeholder. In rereading the story after a year away from it, what was needed for the stinger scene to tie in elements from the main plot of this book and leading into the final two books finally came together. I couldn't be more relieved! I also have made some notes of a few minor rewrites for when I'm ready to get into deeper edits, which will be after writing the first draft of Book 25. Before I move onto rereading Book 24, I'll be writing the stinger of Book 23. I want that draft done now rather than later.

That's a bit of a long-winded update, but now you know.

I also need to get a cover up for Book 24.

As for Book 23, here's the description. It may get some tweaks later, but I'm pretty happy with this:

The time for the attacks on the Issan installations is approaching, as is the birth of Nya's baby, and she has two shards left to find. When she and her friends on the Cartegos arrive at one of the last Starfire worlds, they discover more than expected. A colony of Voru lives under a large shield reinforced by a Starfire shard, a shield that protects an ancient record whose truths could shatter the Issan cult; but the Keeper of the shard is dying.

The Issan have been alerted to the location of the shard, and they've come with forces prepared to defeat anyone who stands in their way. Nya can hardly access the knowledge left for that time while in labor, much less defend against the Issan; and a saboteur has weakened the shield. Their options and time are running out…

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Thanks for reading!

the natures of real angels (videos)

Guardian Angels, Demonic Attacks & Spiritual Warfare (video title)