If you have been following along on social media, you may have seen the author copies of Pulse: Book Two are in my hands and Amazon copies are available starting Friday, September 22, 2023 (today)!
I am not doing a big event. This book is a direct sequel and you need to have read Pulse: Book One. If you liked the first Pulse book, then grab a copy and reach out to me on your favorite social platform when you finish.
As is the tradition, what better way to celebrate the launch of a book than to release a new song!
This time around I have something very different. Let’s start with a question: what is a conlang?
The name says it all. A conlang is a constructed language and the term is generally used to describe languages created for works of fiction. Some mainstream conlangs: Klingon (Star Trek), Na’vi (Avatar), Dothraki (Game of Thrones), Valyrian (Game of Thrones), and Tolkien’s Elvish, Quenya (Lord of the Rings).
For Pulse: Book Two, I had a plot point that I really wanted to turn into something special. Early in this novel, a text is discovered. In my original draft, I had left the spot blank knowing I was going to develop an unexpected idea to keep my readers guessing. Almost a year ago now I reached out to Joseph Windsor who is the head of the LCS (Language Creation Society). I pitched him my idea and then he agreed to help connect me with a conlanger. From there I met BenJamin “Jamin” Johnson. We went back and forth for a few months. I gave him pages of notes and then he went to work perfecting my idea. What I wanted was a language that was both ancient and futuristic. A language that could be either the basis for English, or what English could one day become. There are some roots in Cloud Atlas as well as pulling inspiration from the famous Ozymandias poems. Basically, I wrote an English poem about the fall of humankind, and then Jamin turned it into something truly special and unique. I plan to expand on this idea with my Pulse spin-offs so let’s just say the backstory on this poem is woven into the pages of Pulse and many nuggets can be found if you are looking for them, but the truth will be revealed in a later publication.
“The Prophecy”
Ayam dawa hu ste yusap
Ayam dakin af eriwe
Luka yus apa may wak
Yus mayti an dispe.
Kos dapraya manimin
Byu wi nua may
Dea natin navu an
Nuade nitin bray.
Diakitek is rada krut
Dasat tem tu impres
Waw wi mi de framin yuch
De wi kan oni ges.
Wa pawafu ba norikodit res
Wans dewt dahia nayaledit ples.
Dagretes af akamplismins, de kanna bi sin
Dewyu tes yo limis, an eritin itwin.
Here is how is landed on my page:
I didn’t stop when Jamin gave me his final translation though. There was a moment in the book where a group of characters would recite the translation as part of a ceremony. I dubbed this moment “The Prophecy” and I felt I wanted it to be a Gregorian chant. After a few weeks of searching for the right fit for the project, I found a person named Mike who runs a music production studio called Music Forge. Mike specializes in Gregorian chants while also producing a cinematic sound. I love the cinematic sound Skrybe and I made for Pulse, and Mike’s composition fits right in with the other Pulse songs. The bells were my suggestion 🙂
Wait…
It gets better…
There is another song!
Created during my time working on The Anatomy of Fear, but also serving as a subtle nod to a moment in Pulse, Little Lion Man is the debut single from Mumford & Sons, of which Bellec is a massive fan. This is a reimagination of the original with Darby Yule on vocals and Skrybe creating the melody. The Someone’s Story EP has heavy Mumford & Sons inspiration and this song serves as a nod to that project while also showing my growth in the year since. Can a single song represent 3 different books? Yes! Someone’s Story, Pulse, and The Anatomy of Fear all have a tie here!
If you want to grab a copy of Pulse: Book Two, here is my Amazon link:
I do have a confession. I have slipped on my reviews. It was a busy few months (I also was planning a wedding) and I focused almost all my author time on bringing Pulse to the finish line. I have a few books I have read that I haven’t made a video for yet, as well as some new titles in my TBR I look forward to starting in the coming months.
Also, if you have been following along, you may have seen the short story project The Anatomy of Fear come through my blog a few months ago as a Kickstarter as I wrote one of the stories in that anthology. That project is also very close to done and stay tuned for the release date! The cover reveal just happened a few days ago.
I will get back to my normal routine in the next few months.
B.A. Bellec 