Two Worlds in Development: A Glimpse Into My Current Projects
As an author, there's nothing quite like the excitement of having multiple stories brewing simultaneously. Right now, I'm deep in development on two very different but equally compelling projects: "The Shepherd Descends" and "The World Below." Each represents a unique journey into storytelling that explores the intersection of war, divinity, and cosmic consequence—the territory where I feel most at home as a writer.
The Shepherd Descends
"The Shepherd Descends" is my newest work—a first contact story that explores humanity's initial encounter with an alien intelligence. The plot formed from recent news of Comet 3I/ATLAS as I considered the "what if" scenario—what if that comet wasn't natural? Set in 2087, the story follows three competing human factions racing to make contact with a mysterious object that has decelerated into our solar system. What begins as a simple discovery by Dr. Elena Chen at Farside Observatory quickly evolves into something far more complex.
The "Shepherd" of the title is an ancient alien intelligence that has been observing humanity for centuries, waiting to determine if we're ready for contact. The story examines what happens when our competitive instincts collide with the need for cooperation, when individual conscience must transcend institutional authority, and when we're forced to confront the reality that we've been watched and judged all along.
This isn't a story about invasion or conquest—it's about evaluation. The alien intelligence creates scenarios that test not our technology or military might, but our capacity for compassion, cooperation, and growth. Through crises in space, desperate rescues, and moments of choice between advantage and altruism, humanity must prove whether we deserve to join a larger cosmic community.
The World Below
"The World Below" holds a special place in my heart—it's the story that waited twenty years to be told. I first conceived of this narrative over two decades ago, wrote two chapters full of ambition and curiosity, and then life intervened. But the story never left me. It stirred in the back of my mind, evolving and waiting.
When I returned to it in 2025, I discovered something remarkable: my voice had changed. The writing demanded something more layered, more mature, more deliberate than my younger self could provide. It was this realization that led me to adopt the J.A. Raithe pen name—a voice that belonged not to my past but to the world I was shaping.
"The World Below" is an enormous undertaking—at a minimum, a 3-book set to start, and possibly a complete series of books. Sometimes I think I was out of my mind to start this project. Other times... I can't help it, I love the story. It explores hidden realities that exist parallel to our everyday world, where cosmic forces manipulate events from the shadows and ordinary people find themselves caught in extraordinary circumstances. It's a story that blends the gritty realism of human struggle with the lyrical metaphysics of divine consequence—the signature approach that defines my work.
The Creative Process
Working on two projects simultaneously has its challenges, but it also offers unexpected benefits. When I hit a creative wall with one story, I can shift to the other and often return with fresh perspective. "The Shepherd Descends" and "The World Below" are different enough in scope and approach that they don't compete with each other in my imagination—instead, they feed each other in surprising ways.
"The Shepherd Descends" explores humanity's place in a larger cosmic community through the lens of first contact, while "The World Below" examines hidden realities that exist parallel to our everyday world. Both stories share my commitment to science-fantasy that doesn't shy away from complexity, where every choice echoes beyond time, and human actions carry cosmic weight.
These stories are still in development, which means they're evolving daily. Characters surprise me, plot threads reveal themselves, and themes deepen as I write. "The World Below" carries the weight of twenty years of development, while "The Shepherd Descends" brings fresh energy and explores whether humanity can transcend its competitive nature when faced with the ultimate test.
Both books will join "The Nine Who Remembered" and my other works in exploring the central question that drives all my fiction: What does it cost to be human when the cosmos itself is watching?
I'm looking forward to sharing more about these projects as they develop, and eventually, to sharing the finished stories with readers who are ready to explore worlds where first contact becomes a mirror, and where hidden realities challenge everything we think we know about our place in the universe.
What draws you to first contact stories? Do you prefer tales where aliens test our worthiness, or stories that focus on the wonder of discovery? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
