It's the End of World as We Know It (and I feel...okayish?)

Today is a happy yet sad day. Happy: It's the release of the last book in Demons of Oblivion series by Skyla Dawn Cameron. Sad: It's the release of the LAST Book in Demons of Oblivion series by Skyla Dawn Cameron. Always a bit of bitter sweetness there in those words.

I'm excited to share about the book and have this guest post by Skyla.

Please give a warm welcome to Skyla!

It’s the End of the World as We Know It (and I feel...okayish?)

Today has been a very long time coming: it’s the release of the final Demons of Oblivion novel.

The first book in this series was written throughout 2004 and 2005. I was a very young writer, had just signed my first contract for another book (River) when Zara Lain tapped me on the shoulder and I dove into her story head-first. Immediately after I typed the epilogue of Bloodlines, the rest of the series and full five-book arc bloomed in my head: I’ve known for over a decade where this final book would end.

I often mourn books when I finish them. After typing the last words of a zero draft, I still feel the story buzzing under my skin. Sometimes I’ll go back and reread a few sections, other times I’ll dive into the sequel’s first couple of chapters. After living and breathing a story for so long, it’s very difficult to let go, and I even miss the books that are the hardest to write. So it was expected I’d mourn Oblivion as well once it was done, especially because I’ve lived with these characters in my head for so long.

I didn’t feel any of the things I expected to. There’s been no mourning, no stages of grief.

First and foremost, I was relieved.

As frustrating as it is for readers to wait for books in a series (and believe me, I know), it’s a nightmare for writers. Four years have passed between the release of the fourth book (Exhumed, July 2012) and the fifth (Oblivion, August 2016). It has plagued me all this time, and I felt guilty every time I had to backburner it. I also nearly didn’t finish it, because the entire process of writing it was so difficult. The tremendous pressure I felt—to not only close out the series but do the characters justice and provide closure for readers—was staggering.

It’s also difficult for me to mourn something that isn’t actually over. Yes, this is unequivocally the last published book: the cost of publishing isn’t worth the few sales since this is how I make my living, and illegal distribution of the books killed any chance of resurrecting publication plans. But the stories aren’t over: my head is filled to the brim with the next arc of books, and I’ve already started the sixth. Oblivion is the end of the arc—it’s by no means the end of the story. The surviving characters haven’t stopped talking, haven’t gone anywhere—I know how their journey continues.

I haven’t said goodbye to anyone and I probably never will even if the other books are never written—they’re a part of me. But at least I know there’s a satisfying conclusion, that it’s finally off my plate for good, and I can move on to publishing other work.

Other than relief, the second biggest thing I felt was gratitude.

I didn’t expect, a dozen years ago, precisely how long it would take to get to this moment I saw in my head after I first wrote Bloodlines, but here we are. I’ve repeatedly told the story of how Mel is responsible for seeing this series resurrected; I can tell you without a doubt this book wouldn’t exist without her.

It also wouldn’t exist without the readers I knew I owed some closure, or the Patrons of Snark who support me every month. The people who have been waiting years for this book, patiently and without demands, nagged on my conscience and pushed me to keep at the book. I am incredibly grateful to Melissa and my other readers for their devotion to these stories. You are few but you are mighty.

The end of a series is bittersweet, there’s no doubt. There’ll always be part of me that wishes things had turned out differently and that more stories with these characters would see the light of day. But ultimately I got to tell a complete story and share it with the most amazing readers in the world, and that means more than any “what if” I could imagine.

I’d like to take a moment to sincerely thank Melissa of My World for everything she’s done for me and these books. She does so much work, tirelessly supporting me, promoting the books, telling friends, beta-ing...I can’t even begin to express my gratitude. I am so honored to have had her on this journey with me, for her unwavering belief in the books, and for inviting me back here today to see the series close.

I feel like writing Oblivion I went through the same apocalypse the characters did. I’m exhausted, bone-weary, and grateful to have survived. And like them, I wouldn’t’ve gotten this far without friends. So thank you, Mel.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oblivion
Earthquakes. Plagues. Rivers of blood. The ever-so-popular rain of toads. When end of the world fare is on the rise, it’s well past business as usual in a city where the veil between dimensions is thin.

Quarter-demon Persephone Takata isn’t so keen on killing herself anymore. This time when death approaches, she’s ready to take a stand and fight to protect the woman she loves, along with everyone around them as the apocalypse swings into full force.

Meanwhile, trapped in her home dimension where her antichrist father’s rule is weakening, Mishka Thiering’s hopes for revenge on the living are put on hold when she stumbles across the truth the Court has kept hidden for centuries. Her death was the last piece of the puzzle, leading to a change in the dimensional landscape, affecting humans and demons alike.

Despite its fractured numbers, the shadowy organization who has kept tabs on Peri and Mishka for years is still very much in the game, ready to set into motion their final plan. For there is something much, much worse waiting in the wings—something old, something powerful, and something far more terrifying than Oblivion or any of the creatures it’s spawned.

Alliances, betrayals, casualties.

This is war. And only one sister can win.

Pick up Oblivion today!

Amazon

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iBooks

Need the previous stories? Pick them all up now at different book venues.

Bloodlines

Barnes & Noble
Kobo
iBooks

Hunter

Barnes & Noble
Kobo
iBooks


Lineage

Barnes & Noble
Kobo
iBooks

Exhumed

Barnes & Noble
Kobo
iBooks

Whiskey Sour (and Other Stories)

Barnes & Noble
Kobo
iBooks

A Vampire Walked into a Bar

Barnes & Noble
iBooks

Hungry Like the Wendigo

Barnes & Noble
Kobo
iBooks


Author Bio:
Award-winning author Skyla Dawn Cameron has been writing approximately forever.

Her early storytelling days were spent acting out strange horror/fairy tales with the help of her many dolls, and little has changed except that she now keeps those stories on paper. She signed her first book contract at age twenty-one for River, a unique werewolf tale, which was released to critical and reader praise alike and won her the 2007 EPPIE Award for Best Fantasy. She now has multiple series on the go to keep her busy, which is great for her short attention span. She is also a proud Writer of Unlikable Female Characters™.

Skyla is a fifth generation crazy cat lady who lives in southern Ontario, where she writes full time, works as a freelance designer, stabs people with double pointed knitting needles, is an avid gamer, and watches Buffy reruns. If she ever becomes a grownup, she wants to run her own Irish pub, as well as become world dictator.

Visit Skyla’s site at www.skyladawncameron.com


Find Skyla:
Site/Blog: Skyla Dawn Cameron Urban Fantasy & Paranormal
Twitter: @SkylaDawn
Facebook: Skyla Dawn Cameron Author Page
Book Designs:  Indigo Chick Designs