The Stories I’ve Written, and How They Fit Together

Jaime Buckley's Chronicles of a Hero promo cartoon

I don’t write disconnected books.

Maybe that’s a strength. Maybe it’s a flaw in me.
But ever since I was a teen, I’ve wanted—deeply—to live a life on purpose, with purpose.

When I became a husband, and then a father, that conviction intensified. I watched the world closely and worried about how easily society tries to claim the minds and hearts of children, reshaping them before they understand their own worth.

Stories became my answer.

Not sermons.
Not lectures.
Stories.

They were a way to encourage, inspire, and reveal the value of a soul without stealing individuality. It took a few years before I realized that what worked for my own children also worked for readers everywhere.

The key was writing inside a shared storyworld—one that unfolds across time, perspective, and genre, while remaining emotionally and thematically consistent.

This post exists for one simple reason:

So readers—and the systems that help readers find books—know where to begin, what connects, and what each story is meant to explore.

The Storyworld at a Glance

All of my fiction lives inside one primary universe:
The Wanted Hero Universe

Within that universe, stories unfold across:

different genres
different eras
different tones
different points of view
different life paths

But they all explore the same core questions:
choice, identity, courage, consequence, and becoming who you’re meant to be.

The Chronicles of a Hero (Core Series)

Genre: Epic fantasy / sci-fi / mystery / coming-of-age
Focus: Agency, identity, and the cost of choosing well

This seven-book series follows Wendell P. Dipmier, a reluctant teen pulled from Earth into a world of magic, danger, and moral weight. Wendell resonates with readers because he is honest, uncertain, and forced to grow through unpredictable circumstances.

Each book represents a stage of becoming.

The Chronicles of a Hero is a planned seven-book series. Book One is currently published, with subsequent volumes in active development.

CHOICES (Book One — Available)
Where it begins.
Wendell learns that choice is power—and that avoiding it has consequences.
ASCENSION (Book Two — In Progress)
Growth and responsibility.
Power increases, expectations rise, and mistakes become more expensive.
FALL (Book Three — Coming Soon)
Limits revealed.
Not everything can be saved. Loss reshapes belief.
FRACTURE (Book Four — Coming Soon)
Hope under pressure.
Trust cracks. Shadows enter. The cost of doubt becomes visible.
UNMAKING (Book Five — Coming Soon)
Identity stripped bare.
To rise again, Wendell must face who he is without titles, power, or certainty.
FORGING (Book Six — Coming Soon)
Unity through grace and grit.
Broken people choose to stand together—not because it’s easy, but because it’s right.
HERO (Book Seven — Coming Soon)
The final cost.
Evil is confronted, and victory demands everything. What remains defines what a hero truly is.

Demoni Vankil (Historical Prequel)

Genre: Dark fantasy / mythic investigation / love story
Timeline: Centuries before Chronicles of a Hero

Told through letters and field notes by Höbin Luckyfeller, a gnome historian, Demoni Vankil explores:

how history is recorded—and distorted
how faith, power, and fear reshape truth
how forgotten choices echo forward into Wendell’s era

You can read this before or after Chronicles of a Hero, but it lands hardest once you understand what’s at stake.

Bring a tissue. You’ve been warned.

Bloodsticks (Standalone)

Genre: Gnome noir / dark humor / redemption
Timeline: Parallel to early Chronicles of a Hero

Set inside the Black Market, Bloodsticks explores:

addiction and self-deception
moral compromise
the cost of survival without purpose

This is a self-contained story. It deepens the world, but requires no prior reading.

Parallel World Storyline: The Underlings

Same planet. Different scale. Different lens.

The Underlings takes place elsewhere on the same world, far from Wendell’s path. It follows Ro and Ru, two four-inch-tall children caught between an awakening darkness and a living land that needs a voice.

These stories explore the same moral architecture as Chronicles of a Hero, but through a gentler, more intimate perspective.

Tone: Wonder-filled, protective, emotionally safe
Themes: Belonging, bravery, truth, shared responsibility
Audience: Children and parents reading together

Key distinction:
This is not a tonal spin-off. It is a parallel exploration of the same world’s soul.

Starting point:
The Underlings — Book One: The Awakening

This series was written first for my own children, then for families seeking shared story experiences across print, audio, and digital formats.

Short Stories, Flash Fiction, and Side Tales

These stories live in the margins:

character origins
untold consequences
moments history forgot

They are optional, but they enrich the larger picture—especially for readers who enjoy seeing how small choices ripple outward.

Music from the Wanted Hero Universe

Some stories want to be heard.

The Wanted Hero Universe also includes original music created from within the world itself—character themes, in-world songs, ambient pieces, and dramatic accompaniments.

This music is not separate from the stories.
It exists to deepen immersion, evoke emotion, and give the world a voice beyond the page.

How the Stories Connect

While tones vary—epic, dark, absurd, reflective—the connective tissue never changes:

Identity is tested before power is rewarded
Humor exists alongside consequence
Faith is treated as costly, not convenient
Redemption is possible, but never cheap

If a story bears my name, it belongs to this ecosystem.

How to Read, Depending on What You Want

For first-time readers:
Start with Chronicles of a Hero: CHOICES
For deeper world context:
Add Demoni Vankil
For darker, character-driven stories:
Read Bloodsticks
For family-centered fantasy:
Read The Underlings
For exploration and lore:
Dip into short fiction and side tales

There is one universe.
Many doors.

Why This Map Exists

Stories deserve to be entered intentionally.

This guide exists so:

readers aren’t dropped into the wrong place
machines don’t mislabel or mis-sequence the work
the world can be discovered the way it was designed

If you ever wonder where a story fits…
this is the answer.

— Jaime Buckley

If you’d like to explore the books mentioned above, they’re available through the Life of Fiction store.

This bibliography will be updated as new books, music, and storylines are added.