June Update
Hey everyone,
Just a note about things in my writing space. Book 5 of IoO is coming along. I think I’m at around the 40-50% mark of the first draft. Too bad there are another 5 drafts and at least 50% more of the book to write. Then again, I do enjoy writing, so it’s not really labor so much as love. After that, I’ll jump straight into IoO book 6 and then Eternal Ephemera book 4.
That should take me into the end of 2026 or even middle of 2027.
Speaking of Eternal Ephemera, here’s the link for the audiobook for book 3, The Solace of Hope. It releases on June 24th and Travis Baldree did an amazing job (as usual) narrating it. So excited to see the reception! He brings so much heart and life to the book, and I hope you love it as much as I did!
Just a note about things in my writing space. Book 5 of IoO is coming along. I think I’m at around the 40-50% mark of the first draft. Too bad there are another 5 drafts and at least 50% more of the book to write. Then again, I do enjoy writing, so it’s not really labor so much as love. After that, I’ll jump straight into IoO book 6 and then Eternal Ephemera book 4.
That should take me into the end of 2026 or even middle of 2027.
Speaking of Eternal Ephemera, here’s the link for the audiobook for book 3, The Solace of Hope. It releases on June 24th and Travis Baldree did an amazing job (as usual) narrating it. So excited to see the reception! He brings so much heart and life to the book, and I hope you love it as much as I did!
I also have a story included in a new Well World anthology that was just released. For those who don’t know, Well World is a wonderful, old series by the legendary Jack L. Chalker, and the anthology also includes many wonderful authors, including Catherine Asaro and SP Somtow.
Beyond that, there are also several excellent Kickstarters that I thought I’d mention. First comes Mike Shel’s Sin Eater, the sequel to his excellent Aching God. Layered, rich, and mature, I love these books.
The second is Intisar Khanani’s fantastic Debts of Fire, the third book in her Sunbolt Chronicles. How best to describe it? Empowered women in a a diverse world where heart and empathy overcome oppression.
And finally, what was I doing between the time I finished book 3 of Eternal Ephemera and started book 5 of IoO? Well, I did take a break from both series… by writing a book in a new series. Some people like to golf; I like to write.
Anyway, it’s a big book, about the same length as the IoO novels even though I initially meant it to be something simple with a chosen one, a quest, and the barest-of-bones when it comes to world-building. A fun and easy book. A short one, too.
That didn’t happen. The book quickly became much more complicated in all aspects. Not a surprise, but all that extra work in character development, worldbuilding, and plot really pissed me off. I just wanted to write something simple. That’s not too much to ask, is it? Well, according my brain, yes.
Well, I wrote the fragging book, largely resenting the process while at the same time, the day job was becoming very stressful (that’s slowly improving), and members of my family had a lot of health issues—nothing permanent, but it’s been hard for them.
A bad headspace, and by the time I finished the book, I had no idea what kind of quality it possessed. Sure, on some level, I thought it was probably pretty good, but then again, I would think that, wouldn’t it? Or at least I would want to.
So I began the editing process without any certainty that what I’d written was any good. I finished it, sent it to my editor, and…
Well, he loved it–thinks it might be the best book I’ve written, and I’m told the same thing by several authors who I trust. The book might be part of the Anchored Worlds, or it might exist on its own, but it probably won’t see the light of day for several years. That’s mostly because the next couple of years will be spent on finishing IoO and EE before I tackle book 2 in the new series.
Davis
Anyway, it’s a big book, about the same length as the IoO novels even though I initially meant it to be something simple with a chosen one, a quest, and the barest-of-bones when it comes to world-building. A fun and easy book. A short one, too.
That didn’t happen. The book quickly became much more complicated in all aspects. Not a surprise, but all that extra work in character development, worldbuilding, and plot really pissed me off. I just wanted to write something simple. That’s not too much to ask, is it? Well, according my brain, yes.
Well, I wrote the fragging book, largely resenting the process while at the same time, the day job was becoming very stressful (that’s slowly improving), and members of my family had a lot of health issues—nothing permanent, but it’s been hard for them.
A bad headspace, and by the time I finished the book, I had no idea what kind of quality it possessed. Sure, on some level, I thought it was probably pretty good, but then again, I would think that, wouldn’t it? Or at least I would want to.
So I began the editing process without any certainty that what I’d written was any good. I finished it, sent it to my editor, and…
Well, he loved it–thinks it might be the best book I’ve written, and I’m told the same thing by several authors who I trust. The book might be part of the Anchored Worlds, or it might exist on its own, but it probably won’t see the light of day for several years. That’s mostly because the next couple of years will be spent on finishing IoO and EE before I tackle book 2 in the new series.
Davis
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Thanks for the update. Rereading IoO now after a break, and it’s still one of my favorite series ever. It’s like LOTR and Cradle had a baby with way better romance. Just wanted to send some support and encouragement. I know big projects can be scary to approach and tedious to work on, but you’re working with gold. We are all so excited to hear the rest of this epic story! You got this!