Apollo

AFTERWORD [AUTHOR'S NOTE]

Hi everyone!

I hardly even know what to say. Apollo is completed – how crazy is that?

When I first uploaded a story titled The Lady Lockhart (which I admit was named without much thought) onto the Internet, I never dreamed of any of this. I've always loved to tell stories, but before Artemis I never shared my work, and I never thought anyone would have liked it. I never thought anyone would care to so much as read the blurb, much less to vote and to comment on it. But look at us now – both main instalments of the Lockhart series have made it onto the Hot List numerous times, climbing pretty high up on certain occasions. Yuletide With Will won a contest. And, most significantly to me, I've had the opportunity to talk to actual people who've been awesome enough to give my work a chance.

This has been an absolute pleasure. It almost pains me to end this series, because it's been such a huge (yooge) part of my life for so long now and it's hard to believe it's just over. No matter what, though, I'll never regret writing and sharing this on Wattpad.

I decided to do what I did the last time I wrote an Afterword (for Artemis) and share a song (...or two) I like with you guys. The last one was If You Love Someone by the Veronicas – this time, it'll be two songs that I just couldn't choose between. They definitely didn't exist back then, but I like to imagine them being played at Emmett's wedding during the brother-sister dance, haha!

The first is Whenever You Remember by Carrie Underwood. I think it's pretty reflective of what Emmeline and Emmett's relationship has been. It's honestly the sweetest song. Check it out here:

The next one that I absolutely LOVE is a number by Rascal Flatts called My Wish. I think it fits really well with what the Lockharts would wish for one another, since their lives were beginning to diverge with both of them married. I suppose you could also call it my wish for all of you – that your dreams stay big, your worries stay small, and you never need to carry more than you can hold.

The Lockhart series has meant everything to me these past years, and it would be nothing without every single one of you who's given it a chance. Thank you. Every one of you who's taken time to read Artemis, Apollo, or both has meant the world to me and I can hardly express my gratitude in words. But knowing that someone read and enjoyed my work fills me with this feeling of warmth and love, and hearing from you guys sends me straight to the moon. Being on Wattpad is honestly the best.

I don't know why I'm talking like I'm leaving Wattpad. I'm not. I intend to explore new territory, in the same way that I did with this series. I've never finished any historical fiction project before and so Artemis and Apollo have both been completely new experiences for me, not just in the sense that I got to share my work with others but also because they're one of my first dabbles in this genre.

That said, I'll be starting a new project in a brand new field – fantasy. I've never written fantasy in my life – at least, not successfully – and this is such an exciting new adventure to embark on. My new story, the name of which I will not yet reveal, will involve witches, wizards, time travel (hint hint, wink wink: return to the historical fiction genre!), and, of course, family. There might even be a touch of romance. 😉

I'm super thrilled to share it with you once the first chapter is ready to be released and the title has been confirmed. Be sure to look out for it on my profile page! I'll be sending out a message to alert my followers when it drops but will not be posting any notices here. It's going to be so much fun – and who knows, maybe even more than Apollo and Artemis have been.

Well – if, by some miracle, you're still reading this ridiculously long note, I hope you'll join me in my next Wattpad adventure. The ride wouldn't be the same without you.

Till next time – which will be in the very near future. Thank you all a million, once again, for everything!!!

Love,
Leanne