After finishing A Demon’s Rebellion: The Rise of Lilith, the natural next question seemed obvious: What happens next? Most readers expect a sequel. That’s how stories typically go. A big finale is followed by something bigger. Higher stakes. A new villain. A continuation of the plot.
But the truth is… the Crimson Alliance needed a break.
And so did I.
That’s when I made a bold narrative decision, not to jump forward in time, but to pause. To step sideways. To ask not what happens next, but what happens when the team separates?
Instead of a sequel, I decided to write interquels – a series of stories that take place in the three-month period after the final battle in A Demon’s Rebellion, when the team is granted leave to rest, recover, and rediscover themselves.
What’s an Interquel? And Why Does It Matter?
You’ve probably heard of prequels and sequels.
An interquel is different. It’s a story set between two major installments of a saga. But in my case, it’s not wedged between plot points. These interquels are bridge stories… solo or duo adventures that happen after the first arc concludes, but before the team reunites for whatever comes next.
This three-month break isn’t a narrative gap. It’s fertile ground.
Instead of diving into the next galactic crisis, I’m using this moment to explore something far more powerful:
Who are these characters when they’re not fighting side-by-side?
Why Not Just Write a Sequel First?
I could’ve written a direct sequel. But it would’ve felt incomplete—like moving forward without addressing what these characters had just been through.
By the end of A Demon’s Rebellion, the seven heroes of the Crimson Alliance had each faced incredible trials. They had changed. Broken. Grown. But there wasn’t time in the main story to show the internal fallout or the quieter transformations that make heroes human (or whatever you call a person from Valkorr).
And frankly, I didn’t want to throw them into another war right away.
They’d earned rest.
They’d earned introspection.
They had earned their own spotlight.
The Interquels: 6 + 1
These interquels focus on individual character arcs, giving space to breathe, evolve, and even surprise readers. Each one stands alone, but together they enrich the greater narrative of the Crimson Alliance Universe (CAU).
Here’s the current slate:
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Kimiko & Freija – Cold Front
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Adrian & Grilka – Sunlight and Shoreline
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Rainstorm – Whispers of the Totem
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Nefertari – (TBA)
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Lilith – (TBA)
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Varek, Zela, and Tarin – the Zyntarian trio (TBA)
Every interquel takes place during the same three-month window, but none of the characters cross paths. That was intentional. Each story is isolated—emotionally and physically—from the others.
Because this isn’t just a break in the timeline.
It’s a personal crucible.
What Interquels Allow Me to Do
1. Deepen the Characters
In ensemble stories, some characters have to take a backseat. Interquels give them the front row. We explore their fears, philosophies, memories—and sometimes, things they’ve never told their own team.
2. Explore Unique Worlds and Tones
Each interquel has a different feel. Cold Front is stark and mythic. Sunlight and Shoreline is humorous and mysterious. Whispers of the Totem will be spiritual and grounded. I’m not bound to one genre or pace—I can shape each story to fit the character’s heart.
3. Strengthen the Universe Without Bloat
Rather than building upward into ever-larger battles, I’m building outward—expanding the emotional and thematic reach of the CAU. The reader gets to walk in new environments, encounter new cultures, and see how the same universe looks through different eyes.
4. Respect the Journey So Far
It felt dishonest to move straight into another campaign. These heroes needed space to decompress, question themselves, make mistakes, and heal. These interquels are earned quiet—but still packed with challenge, danger, and revelation.
A Story Between the Lines
You might ask: So do the interquels matter? Will they impact the “main” storyline?
Absolutely.
These are not side stories. They’re not filler.
They’re the threads that strengthen the tapestry.
When the Crimson Alliance reunites in the next major novel, they’ll be different people—not because of what comes next, but because of what happens between.
They will have loved.
>They will have questioned.
>They will have nearly walked away.
And they will choose to come back—not because they have to, but because they’ve found their reason why.
Why I Chose This Path
Most authors race toward the next book in the timeline. I’m choosing to slow down, to explore the emotional spaces between explosions. Because that’s where characters become real. That’s where readers form lifelong bonds.
The interquels let me explore these characters not as archetypes, but as people. That’s why I’m writing them.
Not because they push the plot forward.
But because they push the soul of the story forward.
And in the Crimson Alliance Universe, that matters more than ever.
