Hope is coming! Again
The Re-Release of Burn the Sky Duology Begins
Hey everyone! It’s been a while since I last posted, and I owe you all an update. Life has been moving fast—between being a parent, working on the trilogy, and editing the Burn the Sky duology, I’ve been flat out in the best possible way.
But here’s the exciting news: the re-release of Burn the Sky is happening, and Hope is coming!
The featured image is by our artist, Shaun Wilson. This is the first rough draft he provided a few months ago, giving you an idea of what the final version may look like.
The Journey to the Re-Release
If you’ve been following my journey for a while, you know how important Burn the Sky is to me. The world, the characters, and the plot have been a huge part of my creative process over the years. Hope kicks off the story of Cristal, Gaius, Seraphin, and a few others. It’s been such a ride to revisit the first book. The edits have mainly been limited to copy editing, but the book remains primarily the same.
For those of you who may be new to the series, Hope is set in a fractured world struggling to recover after a devastating war. It follows our main character, Jayne, written in the first-person present tense, while the other points of view are in third-person past tense. The reason it was written like this was to provide a stark contrast between Jayne and the other characters. It also allows the reader to become personally invested in Jayne as a person from the age of seven to seventeen.
If there are concerns about the first-person present tense, at the time of writing this post, we have a 4.75 for both books in the Burn the Sky duology.
Why the Re-Release?
First of all, Burn the Sky is part of a greater story and was unfortunately contracted to a fraudster. Now that we have the contract well and truly burned, we wish to bring it back to the readers who haven’t had the chance to start the journey with our characters yet.
Second, as a writer, it’s always a learning experience. Since the original release of Burn the Sky, I've had a chance to grow both as a storyteller and as a person. Revisiting Hope has been a rewarding process.
Plus, with the new trilogy in full swing, I wanted to ensure the Burn the Sky duology sets the right foundation for what’s to come. There are some bigger concepts at play, and the re-release of Hope is just the start of bringing those ideas to life in a more cohesive way.
The Mental Health and Hard Work Behind Self-Publishing
Becoming a self-published author has been both incredibly rewarding and challenging. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned along the way is the importance of working to your means and taking care of your mental health.
When we initially published Burn the Sky, we made the unfortunate choice of going through a vanity publisher. Even though we had issues with them, they did all the hard work of designing covers, editing, and publishing the book. But suddenly, all of this has fallen into my hands. This shift has been a lot, and the weight of it all can sometimes feel overwhelming. But, as any self-published author will tell you, the journey is a marathon, not a sprint.
The work that goes into self-publishing isn’t just about writing—it’s about managing your time, your mental energy, and constantly learning. But one thing I’ve realised is that doing the work yourself means we have full control over our story and how it’s shared with the world, and that’s been worth every late-night edit and self-marketing campaign.
To anyone considering self-publishing, my advice is simple: work within your limits and be kind to yourself. It's easy to feel like you have to do everything at once, but pacing yourself and acknowledging the mental load are crucial for long-term success. Remember, you’re not alone in this—it’s okay to ask for help, delegate tasks when possible, and most importantly, take breaks. Mental health matters more than any deadline.
What's Next?
As much as I’m thrilled for Hope to be back in your hands, this is just the beginning. The full re-release of the Burn the Sky duology will unfold as we get into Redemption (book two), and the world that started here will expand into the new trilogy that now has a name. There’s so much more coming, and I’m so excited to share it all with you.
Thank you so much for your patience and support while we work to bring Hope into the world.
Stay Tuned!
The re-release is coming soon, and I’ll be keeping you all updated as the launch date approaches. Make sure to check out my social media and this blog for the return of Almost a Cult Classic. There’s still so much to share, and I can’t wait to hear what you think.
Until then, thanks again for your support and for being part of this journey with me. The stars are waiting, and it’s time to burn the sky again.
With gratitude,
L A Breeze
[Authors | Writers]
