When I created Link NightWolf back in 2005, I had no idea he would still be such a significant part of my life more than twenty years later.
He wasn't created with an elaborate backstory, a carefully mapped-out future, or plans for an entire book series. He began as a character in collaborative online roleplay, and much of who he became developed naturally through the stories I shared with other writers.
His personality evolved. Relationships formed, sometimes unexpectedly. There were moments of happiness, heartbreak, anger, and choices that would shape him for years to come.
And somewhere along the way, Link became far more than a character I occasionally played.
A Story That Kept Growing
In 2008, I began adapting Link's experiences into a novel. I wanted to preserve the story that had developed through years of roleplay while giving it the structure and depth of a gothic fantasy book.
It turned out to be a much larger undertaking than I initially imagined.
The story continued to evolve, and so did my understanding of Link himself. He was never intended to be a traditional hero. He's capable of tremendous love and loyalty, but also jealousy, cruelty, and terrible decisions. Those contradictions have always been part of what makes him interesting to write.
I didn't want to erase his darker qualities or turn his story into one about redemption. I wanted to tell his story as it was, with all its complications and consequences.
The Relationship That Changed Everything
One of the most important parts of Link's journey is his relationship with Cal.
What began as an unexpected connection became a defining part of his life, bringing out both his tenderness and some of his most difficult qualities.
Their relationship isn't a simple love story, and I never wanted to pretend otherwise. It's passionate, complicated, and deeply personal to the character Link became.
That relationship is at the heart of much of The Jagged Path.
Twenty-One Years Later
In 2026, I finally published The NightWolf Chronicles: The Jagged Path, the first book in a planned series.
Seeing something that began as collaborative storytelling in 2005 become a published novel has been a surreal experience.
And this is only the beginning.
I'm currently working on Book Two, continuing Link's journey through the events that followed the first novel.
There's still a great deal of his story left to tell.
Link NightWolf
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