R.J. Metcalf and her husband, Mike, discussed their multi-book “Stones of Terrene Chronicles” during their signing event held at The Open Book in Canyon Country on Saturday.
However, while calling Mike her “muse,” the inspiration behind the series, only R.J.’s name is on the cover of the books.
“He’s been talking about this story since before we were dating, but he doesn’t want to be on the book,” R.J. said, as to why her name was the only one on the cover of the books they author together.
“I help her with the outlining, make sure there are not any plot holes and go through the storyboarding with her,” Mike said.
A Santa Clarita resident her whole life, R.J. said she came to The Open Book event to meet with those in attendance, sign books and take pictures with her fans because she appreciates the support she gets from her lifelong community.
“For me to do this in my community has been huge,” she said. “(The Open Book staff) were excited when I asked to do this, and they’ve been so welcoming to us here. It’s very special.”
The book signing comes on the heels of the Metcalfs’ latest installment in their “Stones of Terrane” series, “Betrayal by Blood: A Prequel,” which was released March 14.
“(The series) is a steampunk-epic fantasy, and that means airships, dragons and magic,” R.J. said.
“It’s basically ‘Final Fantasy’ meets the Disney movie ‘Treasure Planet,’” she said.
The husband-wife writing duo called their world unique, with one of their protagonists being a young man who wakes up in a world filled with “sky pirates and dragons,” with no memory of how he arrived there.
“I’ve had readers who are as young as teenagers and as old as 60-year-old women read the books,” R.J. said.
She also divulged she and her husband plan to release more of the series soon, and they have already started to plan and outline the fourth book in the series.
“We always want to do community things, and when it comes to local authors, we went them to have a place they can come and show their work,” said Diana Roach, the store manager at the Canyon Country bookstore. “And R.J.’s come in here before … and she’s a great example of what kind of talent we have (in Santa Clarita).”