The Official site of TJ Wright

I’ve been a little quiet lately.

Not because I haven’t had anything to say. Quite the opposite.

Life has been busy.

Between the farm, farmers markets, writing, editing, and preparing books for publication, there haven’t been many empty spaces on the calendar. But as summer begins giving way to fall here in Northern Michigan, I’m looking at everything happening around me and realizing just how much I have to be thankful for.

And how much I have to look forward to.

On October 1, Dark Waters, the first novel in my new science-fiction horror series Kepler 153, will officially release.

I’m incredibly excited about this one.

Dark Waters is very different from Apocalypse Unveiled. It trades magic and ancient gods for an alien world, a crashed colony ship, black oceans, and the growing realization that humanity may not understand what it has discovered.

But beneath all of that, it’s still the kind of story I love telling.

It’s about people.

People surviving. People failing. People finding reasons to keep going when the universe gives them every reason not to.

And apparently I have a thing for making fictional people suffer.

Sorry, Kade.

Probably.

And Then There’s the Apocalypse

Not far behind Dark Waters is Apocalypse Undone, the second book in the Chronicles of the Undying Wizard.

Writing those two books so close together has been an interesting experience. They’re completely different worlds, different genres, and different kinds of stories—but they’re both mine.

That’s something I’ve become much more comfortable saying.

When Apocalypse Unveiled was released, I worried endlessly about whether people would like it. Since then, it became an Amazon bestseller, something I’m still incredibly grateful for.

Now I’m preparing to put another story into the world.

Then another.

And I’m excited rather than terrified.

Well…

Mostly.

From Maple Syrup to Magic

The funny thing is that writing isn’t the only thing keeping me busy.

If you’re in Northern Michigan, there’s a chance you’ll find me at one of the local farm markets over the coming weeks.

And my table may look a little unusual.

On one side, you’ll find maple syrup from our family farm.

On the other, you’ll find signed copies of Apocalypse Unveiled.

Farmer and fantasy author wasn’t necessarily the career combination I imagined when I was younger, but here we are.

And I kind of love it.

There is something wonderfully strange about spending part of my year working among maple trees, hauling equipment, making syrup, and preparing for markets—and then sitting down to write about wizards, alien oceans, impossible worlds, and the occasional apocalypse.

They’re very different kinds of creation.

But they’re both about making something and sharing it with someone else.

Everything Happens for a Reason

I’ve always believed that everything happens for a reason, even if we don’t always understand that reason while we’re living through it.

There have certainly been times in my life when I couldn’t see where the road was going.

Looking at it now, though, I can see pieces beginning to connect.

The farm gives me something I can put into someone’s hands.

Writing gives me stories I can share with people I’ve never met.

The markets give me a chance to actually meet some of those people.

And every book gives me another opportunity to put a little piece of myself out into the world.

I don’t take any of that for granted.

God has blessed me with opportunities to create, to work, to meet people, and most importantly, to keep giving.

Maybe that’s why this particular season feels different.

I’m not standing at the beginning anymore, wondering whether I should try.

I’m doing it.

The farm is growing.

There are books on the table.

There are more stories coming.

And on October 1, Dark Waters joins them.

So, for the next few weeks, you’re probably going to hear a little more from me. I’ll be sharing more about Dark Waters, talking about the strange world of Kepler 153, showing some behind-the-scenes pieces of the book, and letting everyone know where they can find me around Northern Michigan.

And if you happen to see a guy at a farmers market surrounded by bottles of maple syrup and copies of a fantasy novel…

Yeah.

That’s probably me.

Come say hello.

I’d love to meet you.