The Wayward Damned [sequel to The Bloody Maiden] is well on its way to publication! It has been through it’s developmental, copy and line edits and is currently being tweaked by me before moving on to formatting and proofreading. I’m planning to release this book early next year so keep your eyes peeled for more information! If you’d like to be the first to know about release dates, gain early access to cover art and more then sign up to my mailing list below.
I introduced you to the main characters in Maiden prior to release, and I’m going to do the same with Wayward now. Are you ready to meet some ferocious smugglers, heinous thieves, a king finally getting his revenge and some sweeter characters we’ll meet along the way?
Julian & Vivienne: The Psychotic Smugglers Who Only Have Eyes For Each Other
Initials aren’t the only thing this couple share with the infamous teens from the movie Heathers – they also share similar tendencies, although granted they have taken it a lot further. Julian and Vivienne live for the thrill of the hunt, with a lust not only for blood but for each other too. You may think that people so keen on killing aren’t capable of love, but one look at these two and there’s no denying they’re head over heels for each other.
Julian and Vivienne are here for a good time, not a long time. Prepare to feel a confusing mix of fascination and repulsion with the pair as they engage in some of the most graphic violence of the whole book. To say they’re unhinged is a massive understatement and to quote my editor: “Julian is terrifying!”
Phaedra & Reesa: Shepherdess and Midwife Couple Extraordinaire
The lovely older lesbian couple everyone who reads Wayward comes to love… Phaedra is a shepherdess who looks after her flock up in the mountains above their little village while her wife Reesa takes responsiblity for all pregnant women and babies born there. Both become very close with Prudence, our protagonist, as well as her companions and whilst they’re not in the entire book, they do play a very important role.
Both acting as mothers that Prudence never got from any figures in her life before, they’re a breath of fresh air in a story full of awful people. Their cottage is nestled in the beautiful valley of Torrin Down – picture an idyllic English cottage covered in climbing roses and you’ve got their home (with a cheeky little hobgoblin as a roommate).
Frederick: A Grieving King Finally Getting Revenge
You heard about King Frederick III in The Bloody Maiden with regards to Cain’s backstory – but in Wayward you’ll actually be meeting him! You have be expecting some kind of brute hell bent on vengeance from what you know about him, but you might be surprised to meet a rather calm, grounded, intelligent man with a yearning for a world beyond monarchy. He might have been born to rule, but it certainly wasn’t something he chose for himself. Deep down he has the heart of an explorer and scholar.
Jonah: A Young Thief with a Magical Link to his Pet Buzzard
The youngest of the gang of thieves we meet in Wayward, Jonah is a quiet lad who seems much softer than the rest of his group. He might be a wallflower who only appears in a few scenes but he’s memorable – mostly due to the fact that his place in the group seems to stem from his mastery of falconry.
Jonah and his buzzard Arûk seem to have a special connection allowing him to make use of the bird’s natural abilities and skill. He might not often be heard within his group of ‘friends’ but he knows how to make his desires known when it counts.
To top it all off I booked an experience day of falconry so that I could learn all about how it’s done and what it feels like to ensure that Jonah and Arûk are written well.
S. M. MITCHELL 
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