Nucleus 1: The Dust of Moon [Mature Sci-fi Romance]

Hey all,

I imagine this news might surprise some of you, especially since I just announced Ch96 would be delayed a few days ago.

Quick 'TLDR' version for those short on time:
The Dust of Moon is being reimagined as a new book called Dreams & Desires, launching November 11, 2025. Same universe, same beloved characters (mostly), but better executed. This will be the official Book 1 of the Nucleus series going forward.

Check out the cover art at the end of this post or at: https://nucleusseries.com/

For those who want the full story (warning: wall of text ahead):

So here's the thing...

After outlining Acts 4 & 5, I realized I didn't like where the story was heading. Too many characters I'd grown fond of (and you had too) were going to die just to wrap up subplots. It felt wrong. Really wrong.

Instead of pushing through with Ch96 and beyond, I've been working on a fresh take with these same characters. And honestly? It's so much better.

Since February 25, 2025, we've hit 360+ followers, 70+ favorites, and nearly 700 comments.

But less than 30 ratings.

That got me thinking - why? After some soul-searching and research, I found the problems. We can call them The issues I'm fixing:

Too much worldbuilding, not enough character growth

- The characters started too close to their endgame selves. No room to grow. No real conflicts in their relationships. That's probably why most readers stayed in Act 1.

Subplot overload

- By the end of Act 3, we had like 10+ subplots. My "solution" was killing off characters you guys liked. That depressed me for weeks.

The Crystal MacGuffin problem

- That Moondust Crystal had to show up every 2-3 chapters in Act 4 and 5's drafts and outlines. Characters couldn't just hang out and be themselves.

Powers weren't earned

- Characters kept getting new abilities handed to them instead of earning them.

My prose needed work

- After 7 months of practice and help from some amazing author friends, I'm ready to write more with my own voice.

What's changing:

If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

The core cast is (mostly) the same, but with real growth arcs:

Sigrún Fjeld

won't hide behind the "Lorna Weiss" alias anymore - she'll be her authentic Nordling self from the start

Xin and Jabari

will actually struggle and grow (their romance arcs were too easy before)

Håkon

will be there from the beginning!

Fuuka

- you amazing commenting readers kept mentioning how much you loved her, so she's getting promoted to main POV status! She'll be right at the center of the action alongside Sigrún, Xin, and Jabari

NEW: Marcus Thorne

- this is a 5th POV character, designed after studying feedback from my American and European readers (huge shoutout to you all!)

Ume, Thomas, Diego, Prince Laurent and others are still there. Some characters are shifting to support roles to keep the story focused, but they'll get their moments to shine.

What's staying:

Same universe

Core relationships and dynamics

The spicy scenes (actually, there's more variety this time 😏)

What's different:

More personal adventures, less "giant space battle every 10 chapters"

Characters earning their powers and relationships

Actual character growth through meaningful challenges

Romance that develops naturally instead of "we're already in love, now what?"

The Dust of Moon will stay up on "Hiatus" for anyone curious. It will serve as the 'beta reader version'. Think of it as an alternate timeline.

And well, I know this might be disappointing for some of you. But I genuinely believe Dreams & Desires is the story these characters deserve. It's the story YOU deserve after sticking with me all this time.

Dreams & Desires drops November 11, 2025 with 13-19 chapters on day one, then back to our Tuesday/Saturday schedule.

Thanks for being on this journey with me. Can't wait to share the new version. I'll see you guys in about a month!

P.S. For those wondering about specific character fates from the original outline...let's just say the new version gives everyone a chance at the endings they deserve, not the ones I was forcing on them.

See you on 11/11/2025 !