He's at it again. Author Talon Windwalker (I'm sure you've read his Rise of the Djall) has a new book out - the sequel (YAY!) to Rise of the Djall. In this new book, Battle for Jerezi, the cliffhanger is resolved, battles are fought, traitors may or may not be discovered, and the familiar characters we loved from the first book come to life again. Good battles Evil, interesting locations abound, and old friends work together again.

What is intriguing about Battle for Jerezi is that it seems to run purely on adrenaline - I could not put it down. The plot is intriguing, the characters well-drawn. Windwalker's imagination leads us to new lands, interesting people, and a story that is both remarkable and memorable. Highly recommended!

We were lucky enough to catch up with Talon and ask him about Battle for Jerezi, writing, sequels, and more. Here's what he had to say...

What inspired you to write this sequel?

I ended my first fantasy novel, Rise of the Djall, with a cliffhanger, so that already set up Battle for Jerezi. Not a juicy answer, but it's hard to spice that up.

How is writing a sequel different from writing a standalone book?

While you're essentially writing a new story, you are still including established characters, perhaps introducing new ones. You also have to make sure that the sequel doesn't contradict its predecessors. I think that is probably the biggest challenge. In addition to that, some people buying the sequel may not have read the previous book(s), so you have to find a way of helping them catch up while not boring readers who are already familiar with the other parts of the series.

I think writing a sequel is much more complicated than a standalone book for these reasons. With Battle for Jerezi, I also switched narratives from the first novel. Rise of the Djall is written from the main character's perspective, while its sequel is written in third person. I was concerned that switch would throw readers, but it allowed me to tell a richer and more intense story.

Is there more to come in this story?

This story finishes with the second book; however, there may be more adventures ahead for at least some of the characters. We'll just have to see where my muses take me in that regard.

Where can people find the book?

It is being offered via Amazon. The book has been released today, Oct 17, 2014.

Is there anything else you'd like to share with us?

While I feel like the first book was pretty good, I think the sequel is even better. My writing style improved quite a bit, and I think it maintains tension much longer than the first book. I'm extremely proud of how this one turned out.

To read more of Talon's travel writing, see: http://1dad1kid.com/