The Echoes Dreams…

Dreams, as well as their interpretations, play a significant role in the story. There are often times when Luke's dreaming and the images he sees give him insight into things beyond his knowledge. But perhaps our dreams are more than just subconscious processes that work out thoughts in our minds our conscious selves aren't unable to formulate.

In ancient times heavy stock was held in dreams, and seers were sought after for the visions they saw in their dreams. It was believed that they possessed the gift of clairvoyance and could tell of futures that had yet to come. We would call that deja vu, a sensation we get when a future moment is all too real, and we know at the moment that we had lived this instance before and could predict what was to come next.

Though what happens when a fleeting dream becomes more than just a good or bad night's sleep? A question has begun circulating in the scientific community about whether or not dreams are, in fact, windows into the multiverse. Parallel dimensions have been proven to exist, and the actuality of infinity is so vast that they're so many versions of ourselves in existence that there is another you who's living your exact life right now, the exact same way, thinking about this same idea at the same time you are.

Maybe they're many different types of dreams, ones that are windows and future or adjacent realities. Maybe sometimes dreams are memories, and as fanciful or extraordinary as they may seem, they are your soul reminding you of who you are, of who you once were. Luke has an eclectic collection of dreams, and they also tell of his Origin and strengthen his connection to Spartacus. Maybe we shouldn't be so quick to dismiss our adventures in slumber; you never know. Perhaps they could be your soul telling you you are powerful and extraordinary.

- J

Is this the future of Publishing?

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Spoiler Alert:

If you read this post, you will learn about the upcoming books before they are released. Please do not read further if you want to wait until you have the full stories.

One recurring question that has been asked since the initial release of Legacy is, what does the future of publishing look like for the franchise? Honestly, the only limit is what our imaginations will allow us to conjure. What happens in the story is done, but how the story is told is not set in stone. The only thing that matters is how we can best present it to you so that you can connect with every Bloodborn like no story ever told before.

The next question is, what would you like to see? The universe of Legacy is vast and expands beyond the Sphere. Not all Bloodborn are affiliated with the sport, and there are various types of Echoes. For GoT fans, the best way to relay it is you will find out what's west of Westeros. The one thing that will continually be repeated is the more interaction you give, the better the experience we can provide. In book 2, Legacy: The Echoes of Fate, you will be introduced to what the real world is like outside the arena. How do non-affiliate Bloodborn live, meet the Assembly, and even get introduced to a group of female warriors once believed to be a myth.

In the last decade, J Leonard Costner has established a network of individuals with unique skill sets and abilities. Graphic novels, movies, TV shows, and video games are possible. The idea of haptic arenas where you can compete in Bloodborn combat has been thrown around. It’s only a matter of time until Historians begin to reach out to you and tell you who your Origin is. We want to help you make your connection as easy as possible. Perhaps the Assembly will even allow new Sects to enter the Proeliums.

So what does the future of publishing look like? Well, it seems like everything. There are so many Bloodborn and tales of their exploits that we’ll need many different types of mediums to do them justice. We will do our best to prepare you for the future. The Legacy Universe is full of treason, deception, plot, and death. Your favorite heroes will ascend to greatness, and others will perish a warrior’s death. Sects will rise and be resurrected while we try to navigate the destruction from the coming wars.

For the Brotherhood!

Odyssey

Confession time: I wasn't sure I would tell this story in 2012. For most of my life, I've been the type of person who rarely would speak, especially when expressing things I was thinking. I was an artist and struggled like most with feeling completion in my work. There would always be something that would constantly haunt me about a piece despite the reception given. So when it came time to express to others that there was a story I needed to tell and that this would be the most anyone had ever heard me speak in a single instance, I was terrified.

When I completed the manuscript, I reached out to people I had access to who were knowledgeable and experienced in the writing space. I asked them the best process for getting others to read the story, and I was told various opinions, including query letters and finding someone with access to publishers and agents to speak on my behalf. Since I didn't have published writing samples or a big enough social media, following those avenues would be almost impossible. Eventually, I was led to a writer's meeting at the local library. There were published authors speaking of their writing processes, techniques, and what they did to get published. They talked about the pros and cons of self-publishing vs. traditional methods. At the end of the event, I spoke with a gentleman who had been in the industry for several decades, and he offered his service to edit my work and helped me settle on the path of self-publishing my story.

Because it was my first long-form writing attempt, and honestly didn't have much expectation of how I would hope the story was received, self-publishing was the best choice for me. I paid for the editing service, and once that was complete researched self-publishing agencies. I landed on a company called AuthorHouse which penguin has since acquired. This company offered many benefits and a professional atmosphere, and communication style. If you decide to go the route of self-publishing, please make sure you find a company that benefits you the most. There are plenty of options and many more scam companies, so you must research. As I am relaying my experience, the best thing you can do is find what fits you best. My experience doesn't have to be yours and if you have an opportunity to further your work, please at least consider it.

Now that I had an edited manuscript, I thought I was ready to publish. While proofreading the edit, I noticed a lot that was changed. This gentleman who edited took liberties with my work without understanding the terminology used in the story. Because I had a feeble understanding of grammar because of the curriculum taught where I grew up and had never attempted to write in this way, I fixed what I could and went ahead with publishing. Despite my fears, I worked up enough courage to let people read the story.
Once I had my finished copy and the story was accessible to others, I felt excited and surprised when I started to hear how the story was being received. I was happy because I was brave enough to take a chance at a new medium, and it seemed to pay off. But my excitement was short-lived. I was still facing tremendous adversity, having been told that the life I knew was over and the person I was would no longer be possible. So I put my head down and retreated to my shell instead of marketing the first story and ended up writing the following second and third novels. I had reached a flow state, and telling the story I experienced had come naturally. And once again, instead of working to broadcast my writing to the world, I had an opportunity to be the person I was told dead once again. Since my identity was tied to that life, the stories went on the back burner while I tried to find myself.

Years later, the journey that I was on led me to continue what I had started almost a decade earlier. Two additional novels came out, and new storytelling devices were created that would assist me in telling the story how it was meant to be relayed. This Odyssey has brought us here today. The Legacy Podcast season 1 episodes are based on this republished version of book one that will be coming to you soon. If we are going to journey together, we will do it correctly, which is why I've reworked things from the published edit that I was unhappy with and fleshed-out character arches that allude to books 4 and 5. I wasn't even aware I was going to tell in 2012.

What's the moral of this story, you might be wondering. In the face of adversity, perseverance will help you achieve anything you put your mind to. That bravery doesn't have to be just for a specific type of person. Bravery is for everyone who decides to work up the courage and express anything they might be too afraid to let others in on.

I hope you have fun and enjoy what you are about to experience. If I couldn't tell it right, I wouldn't be comfortable revealing this story.

Yours truly,

J Leonard Costner