My path forward for this year

I’ve finished the first draft of Duke Rhime of the Spire and begun editing (yay!). It is currently at 103k words. As I mentioned in my last post, I wrote this book very quickly during the holidays, which usually means it will need a heavy edit. I started that process two days ago, and I am only on page 50 of my first read-through- that is very slow for a high-level first pass. That being said, I am very excited about it because it drifts into literary areas I have not ventured before. It also may have significant appeal to traditional publishers- it is not too long, has a strong female protagonist, and incorporates substantial romance elements. Therefore, I will query again once I work through my agents list for The Novice of Thanatos.

Speaking of which, being on a writing streak, I want to strike while the iron is hot, so I’ve also begun writing a new book, The Monk of Thanatos, the sequel to The Novice of Thanatos. I’m only one chapter in, but I have all the major stops and a clear path where this story will go, so I am hopeful it will also come quickly. I started doing a rough sketch of its story and felt compelled to put down some words. Before I knew it, I had the first chapter and a worthy entry. Mishal’s continued journey has been in the back of my mind for several months, and I suppose it was eager to get on the page.

I know it’s crazy to edit one book while writing another, but the words are flowing in a torrent, and I need to take advantage while I have the time. January tends to be a slower month at work, but it will ramp up soon, and Spring is usually the busiest time of the year in my world. I want to get a jump on these projects before I get distracted. I also need to start thinking about Koen and what time and energy the promotion of that book will take. It has been over a year since I completed it, and I might need to reread it to brush up on the foggy details- and, of course, I don’t yet know what the publisher will ask of me, but it behooves me to do what I can to make this book a success.

That said, I may need to return to posting once a week for this blog unless I have a lot of news to report. I will go as long as I can, but writing fiction will always take precedence in my world. Do keep an eye out for more books from me. Destiny of the Daystar is out now, and depending on agent querying, The Novice of Thanatos may be out in the Spring, and Koen is coming too. On top of that, my goal is to complete four more writing projects this year- The Monk of Thanatos and The Confessor of Thanatos, thereby finishing that series, The Dusk of the Demon (book 5 of Absolution of the Morning Star), and perhaps the sequel to Duke Rhime of the Spire. It will be a busy year.

Well, that’s a quick update in my world. I’m as busy as ever, and it feels good. Having too much to write is better than having nothing to write, so I will not complain.

Cheers!