Convergence of Connection is here!

Above: The three books currently in The Way of the Wielder series, set on a white backdrop with flowers around them.

The Story Continues

Welcome to the world, Convergence of Connection!

This is the third book in The Way of the Wielder series, and it’s filled with everything my readers have come to enjoy: emotion, adventure, magic, action, and all shades of love. This is such a beautiful, heart-wrenching part of the story, and I hope you enjoy it.

Paperback, eBook, and KU options are available. Order your copy, or add it to your KU library, on Amazon now!

If you’re new here, and want to know what this series is all about, check out my Books page. There, I list all of my books, and offer both the blurb as well as a link to buy them on Amazon (if available).

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If you’ve come from my newsletter, feel free to skip to the “Additional Insights” section below.

What It’s About

Convergence of Connection begins exactly where its prequel, Mysteries of the Material, ends. Yes, right at that “cliffhanger from hell”, as one of the reviews so appropriately states.

Last month, I published a blog post that revealed both the stunning cover and the blurb. In case you missed that, here’s the blurb again:

No human has ever entered the Strands of Time. Until now.

When Jack fell through the portal in the sea, he knew his death was certain. What he didn’t know was that he and Kizunae would have one final job to do: find the lost goddess and return her to the Material Existence. But as he journeys through time, he’s distracted by the pain of separation from his truest love.

Jaslan struggles through the loss of her best friend and lover. Her grief runs deep, but she must learn to put it aside, and to lean on her friends while they search for the answers they seek.

In the village of Cendis, the Great Wielders awaken their final elements, and learn many truths, including the location of the Forgotten Mountain. There, they discover how to complete their task. But one Idol stands between them and saving the world from destruction.

When Material and Time are on the same side, Jaslan holds the power of gods in her hands—and death is anything but certain.

Convergence of Connection is the sequel to Mysteries of the Material, and is the third book in the romantic fantasy series, The Way of the Wielder. Return to this riveting story, where Jaslan and Jack navigate through devastating loss, life-changing friendships, complex destinies, and a love that spans across the widest divide.

Additional Insights

In case it’s not obvious from the blurb, this is the most emotional part of the story. After the ending of Mysteries of the Material, how could it not be? But it’s not just emotional for my characters—it was emotional for me.

I mention in the acknowledgements section that Convergence of Connection hits differently. Writing it ripped my heart open, forcing me to reflect on concepts I’ve contemplated for almost twenty years. I laughed and cried. I felt defeated and uplifted. I waded through my own heartaches and found my own strengths.

By the time I finished the first draft, I realized that writing this book also healed something inside of me. I can’t really explain it, I just felt…different. Better connected to myself, maybe.

These types of stories are my favorite, both to write and to read. I live for deep emotional connections (as a highly sensitive person, that’s no surprise). I want to feel everything, and I felt deeply with this book.

This need for deep emotional connection extends beyond writing and reading. TV shows and movies make me cry, I’ve become verklempt at museums and art galleries, and there are songs I can’t even sing, for the lyrics make me choke up.

Which is why, when it came to choosing a song to associate with Convergence of Connection, it was impossible to choose just one.

Listen to the Music

I’ve mentioned before that I can’t listen to music with lyrics while I’m writing. It’s just too distracting. Before I know it, I’m channeling my inner Whitney Houston, or belting out the entire Hybrid Theory album like it’s 2001 (yes, I still know all the lyrics).

But while I can’t listen to lyrical music as I write, I do associate it with my stories. Specifically, I associate each book’s action sequence with a song. The Way of the Wielder’s is Won’t Back Down, by Fuel, while Mysteries of the Material’s is My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark, by Fall Out Boy.

But Convergence of Connection is a different animal.

When I first conceived the main action sequence (almost two years ago), I had a song in mind. It fit perfectly, and I envisioned the scene every time I heard it. Then one day, I heard another song I hadn’t heard in a while, and that fit perfectly, too…for an earlier part of the action sequence.

For months, I just accepted that there were two songs I associated with the book. But once I started editing it, I realized that other songs spoke to other parts of the story. Sad songs. Hopeful songs. Empowering songs. Songs of friendship. Songs that speak of rekindled love. Songs that warn of what’s to come.

By the time I sent it to my editor, the list was 10 songs long. “How do I choose just one?” I asked myself. But I knew that wasn’t possible. And even if it was, not considering all of them would be a disservice to the emotions the story and the songs evoked in me.

I had seen a few other authors release playlists with their stories, and that got me thinking. “I could do that.”

So I did.

Compiling It

As I mentioned, I had about 10 songs already on the playlist. Most of them were ones that spoke to me in those highly emotional scenes—you know, the ones where hearing a certain song just hits so hard.

I put them in order from beginning to end, and noticed there were a few gaps. Places where jumping from one song to the next missed so much of what happened on the page. So I put my AirPods in, turned on some music, and did some “research”.

Fortunately, I knew what I was looking for. Those gaps were filled in before long, and after a bit of tweaking with the song order (for the action sequence, in particular), I eventually had it: a complete, 18 songs long playlist for Convergence of Connection.

And today, on this release day, I’m pleased to share it with you!

The Playlist

I’ve compiled this list on Spotify, which you can listen to here. If you don’t have Spotify, I’ve listed each song below and provided links to YouTube.

Some of these songs are specific to a scene or chapter. If that’s the case, I’ve noted it in parentheses. Otherwise, the song fits the general vibe of what happens at that part of the story.

It’s important to mention that this playlist may spoil parts of the story. If you’re worried about that, I’d suggest you bookmark this blog post and come back to it once you’ve completed a scene, or the whole book. But if you’re not worried about that, here you go:

– Through Glass, by Stone Sour

– Run, by Snow Patrol (chapter 5)

– Broken, by Seether, feat. Amy Lee (chapter 6)

– Someone You Loved, by Lewis Capaldi (chapter 9, and some of 12)

– Happy Again, by Wyn Starks

– Lean on Me, by Bill Withers

– My Father’s Eyes, by Eric Clapton (chapter 19)

– You’ve Got a Friend, by Carole King (chapter 22)

– Unstoppable, by Sia

– With A Little Help From My Friends, by The Beatles

– Angels Fall, by Breaking Benjamin (chapter 31)

– Not Gonna Die, by Skillet (chapters 35-40, but especially 39)

– It’s Not My Time, by 3 Doors Down (chapter 41)

– Bring Me To Life, by Evanescence (chapter 42 and 43)

– I Will Not Bow, by Breaking Benjamin (chapter 45)

– Truly Madly Deeply, by Savage Garden (chapter 48 and 49)

– Will You Still Love Me?, by Chicago (chapter 52)

– War of Change, Thousand Foot Crutch (epilogue)

💡 Disclaimer: This list has been compiled by me, and was done so for the sole purpose of providing supplemental entertainment for Convergence of Connection. These songs have been chosen because their lyrics or general vibe set the tone for certain aspects of this story. The artists have not been consulted in any official capacity, and use of these songs for the aforementioned purpose is not in any way an endorsement by the artist or their studio.

In Closing

This playlist is quite personal, as it reflects how I felt while I wrote, edited, and read Convergence of Connection. In fact, listening to it now still gives me all the feels. As you read the story for yourself, you may or may not agree with the choices, or different songs altogether may come to mind. That’s totally fine! Music, like any art, is subjective, and that’s beautiful.

Feel free to email me your thoughts on this playlist, or other songs that call to you as you read. I love hearing from readers! You can email me at inquire@sarahjhoodlet.com, or you can find me on Facebook, IG, or Mastodon.

Finally, if you’ve read the books in this series and have rated and/or reviewed them, thank you! If you haven’t, please consider doing so. Reviews, no matter how brief, help self-published authors get seen, and are so helpful for future readers. You can post a review for each book on Amazon, Goodreads, and/or Storygraph.

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As for me, with the releases of Convergence of Connection and Mission Aboard the Longfin (my middle grade story) behind me, I can now dedicate all of my time to writing book four. I’ll have about eight days to myself in early-August, and I look forward to seeing how many words I can write in that time. Any guesses?

Stay tuned to the blog for updates on progress in the coming months. Book four is another emotional rollercoaster for me, if only because it’s the last book in the series. Saying that is bittersweet, but I’ve known from the start that this would be the end.

That doesn’t make it any easier.

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That’s all for now. Happy birthday again to Convergence of Connection! Until next time, be well, and stay creative!

~Sarah