Significatorius Available on Amazon!
I'll see you all at the end of the world
Hey! Have you grabbed your copy of Significatorius?
As of today, both physical and digital versions are available on Amazon!
As I work through my excitement for the big release, I thought it’d be a good idea to talk about the book in general terms. Maybe a few personal insights and anecdotes along the way.
So, Significatorius is a rockstar love story at its core, but not just.
There are complex layers (like ogres and onions) that when peeled back reveal players dancing across makeshift stages.
Some are extravagant.
Others are ordinary.
The crests and the troughs come together to make up the full wavelength of any given burst of energy.
Because that’s what it’s really all about.
Performances to distance us from our decisions. Distractions from the emotions distilled in the shifting seasons.
Four Events
The sympathy that defines Palena Moria and her life in Oshovia is reflected in my imagined southern tip of South America.
Her passion and her self-doubt, her uncertain origins and her unbroken pride, all this and more is mirrored in how she and her compatriots think about the Antarctic Collective.
Palena Moria grew up at the end of the world.
But to keep her thoughts and the plot from spiraling out of control, the story is placed on a series of reliable train tracks: Vindem.
A harvest festival important to the people of Greater Patagonia. One that honors Saint Acagua and her Divine Aide, Colossus Conca.
There is also quite a bit of tension regarding the emphasis placed on a lesser saint in a world where Saint Vinson reigns supreme over all the Seven Saints, but that doesn’t stop the celebrations — at least not for now and definitely not in Greater Patagonia.
Loosely based on a real life holiday in Argentina, Vindem is split into four main events — and thus Significatorius is as well:
Blessing of the Harvest
White Path
Parade of Chariots
Grand Performance
At first, this may seem like a predictable roadmap. Something for a slice-of-life character study that matches the warmth of winter found in Besnowed.
However, Palena’s chance encounter with Avelven Selk puts us on a roller coaster from the first chapter. Challenged with new romantic, religious, and political obstacles, she has to learn not just to pretend, but to fully embody the role she was born to perform.
And since this is becoming a full-on pitch, I’ll add that throughout it all, Palena clearly questions her confidence, unsure whether she can overcome the world and its looming dangers.
But that’s why we always need a little help from our friends.
Dancing Steps
I am all too familiar with Palena’s indecisive pain. Rehearsed smiles that hide the gnawing sensation that you’re a fraud in your own life. Then facing the terrifying reality of being thrust onto a stage — the very place you want to be and yet a petrifying fear freezes all movements and emotions.
But rather than wallow in the pit of despair, I wanted to take those traits and paint them in new colors.
It fell into place, at least on a very high conceptual level, when I heard APT last year. That smash hit by ROSÉ and Bruno Mars. If you know the song, I’m sure it’s now already playing in your head!
The way the sound and the video played around with nostalgic romance matched a style I immediately wanted to capture.
Under Adverse Stars
A love story that feels a little campy, but in a fun way rather than a forced way.
Creative energy, but more “90s youthful” than “80s family movie.”
More than melody, I was drawn to the texture. The lofi pink and distorted music that drifts between pop and rock. In the continued interest of appealing to a broader audience while not betraying my own influences and style, it felt like the stars had aligned.
I then went on to create a mood board to make sure I stayed on the right path. That’s not something I usually do and it definitely felt a little embarrassing, but I believe it really did help me solidify the vision.
I think how it all came together also contributes to the youthful energy of Palena and Avelven’s love. There’s a rawness to how it stings both positively and negatively.
After all, a lot of life can end up as performative tradition.
It’s only in a lyrical world where true love exists. A mythical relic that’s impossible to describe, but we all know it when we feel it.
Souls Entwined
The journey from a vague idea to a book in the real world took a lot longer than I thought it would.
The spark that lit the fire for Her Flame to burn into an inspiring light was dim at first. I wasn’t sure I had the energy to continue my foolish pursuit.
Becoming a professional author is a dream so distant I only experience it in my nightmares.
What followed was a rough hour that stretched into months of time. I isolated myself in a workshop and hammered away at chapters, chiseling into the bedrock of my own foundation.
And now it’s time for me and my book to walk on stage.
So here is my grand performance: Significatorius.
I hope you enjoy this new adventure. I’ve been careful with my words, but I’ll end this letter by saying there are definitely some big surprises waiting in Palena’s world.
Little details enticing enough to keep the pages turning.
But we’ll save that discussion for later.
Until next time,
—JMB