Letters to the Editor

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Darkcrescent

Baron
Chicago Staff
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(Below is a teaser for the 2021 National Event in Chicago)

Dear Editor,

Is Simmon single? When will he have his first book signing? Does he like apples or plums? I bet he’s a plum person. Anyway, I loved his debut work The Tidal King, the character of Sebastian “Sebas” Montgomery was a delight. I haven’t read such a captivating high seas adventure in years. From his struggles as a poor orphan on the streets of Breakwater Bay to the gathering of his crew “The Loose Cannon'' and their whimsical adventures together, it just painted a lifestyle I thought only my dreams contained. For the last 100 pages, I just could not put it down! When Qora and Aznar were turned to stone and Sebastian was left to duel the Tidal King to the death, my heart skipped one too many beats. I don’t think I’ve cried as much as when First Mate Sam put the Coral Crown on top of Captain Montgomery, the new Tidal King. I am your biggest fan now, and I hope you write another book!

Your Number 1 Fan,
Claribel Swansan, from Dragonreach


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Dear Ms. Claribel Swansan,

I’m afraid Simmon is married; married to his work, that is. He certainly appreciates all the adoring fans like you, though. It was wonderful news when the accolades came in from all different lands. Neither of us were expecting it, but I am certain my brother will continue to create wonderful new lands and stories for all of his readers. I wasn’t supposed to leak this yet, but there is a first draft of the sequel to The Tidal King that I received yesterday. It is quite the followup, and I look forward to seeing how you all enjoy it when it gets released in a few months.

Glad to hear from you,
Gaius Lavendale
 
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Dear Editor,

My favorite story growing up was The Zodiac Bard Story by Artea Withaque, but because of the latest work by Simmon Lavendale, Weight of a Spirit, the follow up to The Tidal King, I have a new favorite story I will be reading to my children when they grow up. I really enjoyed how much of the world was built up beyond the first book. The stakes are higher, and the way you go back and forth between the present and the past for each of the main crewmembers was touching. I won’t lie, I look forward to the chapters about the ship’s cook Morrie more than the others, but as a fellow elf, I can just relate more. I can’t wait to find out how their journey together will end in the final book. I’ve really grown to love these characters over these last two years. Thanks for the wonderful work.

Mesmerized,
Arianna Willows, from Wayside

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Dear Ms. Willows,

We are both overwhelmed by the response to this sequel. Letters have been pouring in from across Fortannis and we couldn’t be more delighted by each and every one of them. Let me assure you that Simmon is hard at work on book number three, which I’m unable to share the title of at this time. Believe me though, if you thought these two books were impressive, you’ll laugh, smile and cry once this book comes out. I can tell you that Simmon has been signed for a ten book deal, and from our meeting just yesterday, there are plenty of ideas and great stories soon to come!

Thanks,
Gaius Lavendale

P.s. Morrie is my favorite character as well.
 
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Dear Editor,

First, let me say how much I enjoyed Simmon Lavendale’s latest work, The Long Road Ahead. The characters really spoke to me as a fellow Hobling who grew up never quite having a single home to lay down roots. It was really the relationship between Garrick and Saria as siblings that made me reach out to my own brother to reconnect. I'm sure the bond you two brothers have is equally as strong. It would have to be to convey such imagery. His work taught me that despite differences and quarrels, there is a strength to familial bonds that should always be remembered. I can’t wait for Shadows of a Lost Man to come out next Spring - I felt the first book in that trilogy was the best thing you’ve ever written.

Signed,
Deliah Tanvers, from Erabella

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Dear Ms. Tanvers,

After 4 years of great letters such as yours I must admit it never gets old hearing from such admiring fans. Simmon has kept quite a few letters over the years, and his place is starting to get a little stuffy. As a little insight, Shadows of a Lost Man is probably my favorite from a concept standpoint. I also can’t wait for him to finish it and give it the same attention and love like all his others. Keep an eye out for this one, I think it’ll make quite the splash!

Signed,
Gaius Lavendale
 
Dear Editor,

I just finished reading The Rivers of Moonlight and I just have to say how great it is to see a return to form like this. The imagery Simmons uses to describe the Forest of Katra in Chapter One is just masterful and really sets the tone for the whole book . I was really nervous after being so disappointed with Gold Pirates but I just had to stay up all night to digest this one like I used to with the older books. I still have to go back and read them every now and again and now I have to add Rivers to my list now too. It’s so good to see that I can still count on Simmon to put out quality literature. I’m eagerly awaiting the next book. Maybe a real sequel to Tidal King? Just a thought!

Eagerly awaiting the next masterpiece,

Norbit Danton

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Dear Norbit,

Your words are very kind, and Rivers of Moonlight was also a joy to read from my end as well. My brother also wanted to mention that The Tidal King had 2 sequels to it, both which were highly respected and reviewed so the last remark about a real sequel I don't understand. That being said it's always a joy to see more of Simmons work added to peoples favorites. Perhaps if you get a chance to reread Weight of a Spirit then you'll see "how well it fits in between both books," as my brother told me in response to this letter. Look forward to his next piece of work!

Thanks,
Gaius Lavendale
 
Dear Editor,

My son just picked up your latest book, Honor in Ruin, and he is loving it so far. I’ve loved your guys’ work since I read The Long Road Ahead when it first came out. I’ve read every book since then but that one is still my favorite. I’ve been trying to get him into the Lavendale books for a while now and he’s been fascinated by Dark Elves and their culture recently so that made it an easy choice when he asked what to read next. It’s been great to have a book that we can both read and enjoy. He really likes the chapters with a lot of action and fights but he’s very interested to see what Arina’s secret is. It’s hard not to spoil it for him! I want to have him read The Sundered next since he likes the action so much.

Proud father,
Torrin Langten, from Calandonia

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Dear Torrin Langten,

Thanks for the kind words, they do truly mean a lot, even after so many years of publishing great works. Simmon is always looking to inspire the next generation of readers. Your son sounds a lot like Simmon in regards to his fascination of Dark Elven culture. There truly is so much rich history throughout all the lands that it’s simply, well, interesting. I’m curious if fellow Hoblings throughout the land also have such rich history and culture? I’m surprised I never looked into that; could be fine research material.

As a special gift to your son, Simmon will be sending you a copy of his newest book, The Skylines of Adromos, which has a strong Dark Elven protagonist. Hopefully your son enjoys magical rituals and unexpected surprises!

Signed,
Gaius Lavendale
 
Dear Editor,

I loved The Sunset Over Misteria Quintet so much I reread each book before the next came out; absolutely love them. However, the follow up series, Springtime Meadows, really lacked heart. I lost interest after the first 100 pages when you described so much of the world itself and didn’t flesh out characters that had real potential, like Cynthia Carbine or her quirky wagon driver Garfield Fritz. Honestly, if it didn’t take 75 pages to introduce Fritz, I would have kept reading the story to see where his development goes, but I just couldn’t force myself. Like I said, Simmon’s Sunset Quintet will always be a yearly read, but I was just expecting so much more from Springtime than what was there.

Your next is sure to be another hit,
James Worthing, from Tharros

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Dear Mr. Worthing,

I absolutely agree that Sunset Over Misteria is a fantastic series, and I can see why you wouldn’t enjoy the first book of Springtime Meadows if you’re looking for more fleshed out characters. I thought the same after his first book in this Trilogy, and I can say that the majority of my advice for his third in the series did have more about the characters and less about the enemy nations that don’t have central characters in its narrative. If you were to give it another read you may enjoy it. It is a quick 1200 pages afterall!

Thanks for your support,
Gaius Lavendale
 
Dear Editor,

Were you drunk when you looked over the latest Simmon Lavendale work, Spector of a Lost Man?! Not only is it basically a complete copy of Simmon’s work from 5 years earlier, Shadows of a Lost Man, but the plot is even worse than that pile of garbage that came out. Honestly, Shadows was really the beginning of Simmon Lavendale’s downfall as an author of note. I am not even able to sell your old works to any of my stores for a reasonable rate. You signed a copy of Sands of the Timeless for me 10 years ago as a kid that I valued well, so I’m not just writing as someone who doesn’t know anything. I respected you and cherished your work, but you’ve really started to slip. I am sorry to say I will no longer be buying any of Simmon’s future works.

Disappointed,
Bert Watkins from Rumeria

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Dear Mr. Watkins,

First off, thank you for your feedback. That being said, Spector of a Lost Man may have had a few similarities from Shadows but nothing compared to what you are implying. While sales have slipped since Shadows came out, I can assure you Simmon is putting just as much attention into his works as he did in his early days. Although his books are being published once a month instead of every 4 months, I still go through the same thought process to edit them down into something reasonable to publish. Has my brother run out of ideas? No, he has not. Are they the quality they once were? That for his dear readers to decide.

Signed,
Gaius Lavendale
 
Dear Editor,

I know everyone is kinda down on Lavendale right now, but I still enjoyed Cobblestone Romance a lot more than I thought I would. I picked it up for my wife because she has been telling me for years how much she enjoyed his work. She didn’t enjoy it that much, but she let me read it after she finished it. I love all the cheesy compliments Hans gives to Princess Perina and how it takes her time to see how there is more to him than just one-liners. At times it feels like the two don’t have much in common with each other, like when the princess tries to tell Hans about the drawing she likes to make for kids, but it really takes a skilled writer to make such a mismatched pair likeable and get the reader invested in their relationship. I’m still not quite sure why they decided to run away from the kingdom because of Lester, though. Sure, he was a creep, but he was just a random dude with no control over anything and Perina was a princess! Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that there are some people who still enjoy your work.

Keep it up!
Ress O’Dorin, from Barran

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Dear Ress,

Your words are well received, and I’m glad you enjoyed Cobblestone Romance. The book came out a few months ago and it hasn’t quite reached the audience of his earlier works yet. Honestly, it's a different genre than he was used to. He wrote it in the span of a weekend and insisted it just get published as-is. The addition of Lester was very last minute and not even in the draft I looked over - Simmon just always feels the need to include a villain, even when one probably isn’t necessary. I’m afraid this will be the final book under our current publisher, but Simmon plans to start self-publishing. I hope to be more involved with the first self-published release coming in a month, Quest Venture.

Keep on reading,
Gaius Lavendale
 
Dear Editor,

I’ve written to Simmon after every book he’s written from The Tidal King to the most recent work Quest Venture, and I’m sorry to say I think that’ll be my last. Don’t get me wrong, Simmon’s early works were the best stories I had ever read, but as I grew up along with these books, so too did my taste in good literature. Sadly, the last five novels were just not very good at all. The characters lacked heart - specifically the Princess from Cobblestone - the stories lacked any meaningful plot, and the endings hardly concluded anything whatsoever. I can see this series as being a potential trilogy, but honestly, I struggled to finish the book over four months where I once would eagerly read a Lavendale book in a day.

I still recommend classic favorites like The Sundered and Agent of the Sand to my friends, but I direct them away from the most recent. I just wanted to wish you the best on your decision to self publish. I also want to thank you both for inspiring me to write. I happened to land a large book deal with your former publisher, so I finally reached my dream of becoming an author!

I hope you find success again, because you’re a great duo.

A disappointed fan,
Claribel Swansan, from Dragonreach

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Dear Claribel,

That’s great news you’ve landed your first deal. I actually have your first letter here, and it’s great that Simmon and I inspired the next generation of story writers. Between you and I, I never got a chance to review Quest Venture until after it was published. When I did finally read it, it was simply not good. I don’t know what happened to my brother, but he has become less and less social. Before, his experiences and interactions across the world helped shape his works and our insights together created those past works. Now, he barely sees anyone.

I’ll be sure to buy your book the moment it drops.

Thanks,
Gaius Lavendale
 
Dear "Editor",

Quest Venture was the worst book I’ve ever read. Ever! I need to see a Biata about wiping my memory of that book. I’d like my 2 gold back, though why I paid that much for this 200 page pile of kindling is beyond me. My new favorite author Claribel Swansan recommended I read you and after reading a few earlier works I picked this one up. How can you still call yourself an author? I’d quit if I were you. Seriously, pick up your quill, burn it, and do us all a favor and walk away. Maybe you’ll do better making copies of other people's works, seeing as you basically just copied your old stories with new character names anyway.

Good riddance,
Anvalar Crispipe of Anywhere your books aren’t

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Dear Anvalar,

Thanks for the feedback.

Gaius Lavendale
 
Adventurers,

It has been wonderful to hear from you and express interest in assisting in this matter. Know I have heard your questions and will be compiling another Letters To The Editor dreaming once I have assembled a few more. If there are others who wish to learn of these lands, I inquire you to reach out and I will do what I can to answer what I am able.

I will wait to answer until the 15th, and will reach out to the dreaming later that day. Should more inquiries come after that date I will certainly compile another list by the weekend of the 3rd.

You may reach me through here, and I will express what I know that could aid you in this task.

Yours,
Gaius Lavendale



((Out-of-game: The link in the above text will lead you to a short form that, when submitted, will send you an email that contains additional plot information for your character regarding the 2021 National Event. Be sure to check your Spam/Junk folder in case it gets funneled into there. We encourage you to discuss the information that you receive with your friends!))
 
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