A New Beginning

Posted on by Nathan Lowell

“The time has come,” the Walrus said…

I’ve finished the first draft of the next Ishmael Wang book. It went to beta readers last week and to the final copy editor today. It’s slotted in for production in September and publication sometime in October.

Yes, I plan to narrate it and put the audio up, but that’s down the road. I need to get more stories moving in the pipeline and it takes a month to produce an audio version. I want to write while the words are flowing. I can record when I’m dry.

August was a trial month for me. I’ve established a writing schedule and it worked very well for me and my family. The goal is to produce one rough draft per month for the next five months. That will give me six new books in the pipeline. The nature of the beast is that – even if I succeed – that doesn’t mean six new books in six months for you.

I’ve reserved four slots with my editor, one is already in use. The next availability is November and I’ve asked for one each in November, December, and January. Since she has no openings in October, that gives me an extra month to get ahead of her schedule. That means each month I’ll have one book in production, one book being written, and one book waiting for editor. While that last one seems like it’s wasting time, the reality is that it gives me some elasticity in the process so if I get really stuck for a couple of weeks, there’s slack that won’t get in the way of my editorial slots. I’m hoping to publish a new book every other month starting in October. Any faster than that and I’ll be short-changing the production or the writing or both.

The next book is tentatively titled From Ashes Born. In the book, Pip returns, hijinks ensue, and Ishmael solves a silly problem. It’s the first volume in what I’ve been calling “Seeker’s Tales From The Golden Age Of The Solar Clipper.”

Which brings me to the book I will be working on this month: Book 1 of the parallel series in the “Smuggler’s Tales From The Darkside Of The Golden Age.” This is a new cast and crew telling the stories that the CPJCT doesn’t want you to think about. There will be some cross over between the two trilogies and my plan is to merge the two story lines into a new series when these complete.

In other related news, I’ve got 30k words into Cape Grace, the sequel to South Coast, and have some ideas about what I need to do with that one, too. I’ll probably drop back into that story sometime in the next few books just to wrap up that branch of the canon.

And with all of that, I’m still planning to revisit Tanyth Fairport and the world of Korlay. I just don’t know when.

August has been a good month. Here’s hoping September is even better.

81 thoughts on “A New Beginning”

  1. It’s really good to hear that everything is going so well. I wish you all the best with your ongoimg projects and look forward to reading the new books when they’re released.

  2. From Ashes Born. I like that a lot! I also like the advanced slotting for the editor and your new-found schedule that works with your reality. I bet you like it even more than I do. 🙂

  3. Pip and Ish are back! I’m delighted that you are in your “happy writing place” so that you can pump out those stories. I’ll return to the first six again to refresh my memories and be ready for the new ones.

  5. Really happy you are doing better!

    And I indescribably excited by the prospect of new Golden Age books, especially getting back to Ish.

  7. Folks if you are here and have not found the Golden Age of the Solar Clipper facebook group look us up. Some very interesting things have been talked about and brought to light.

  10. THIS is excellent news, indeed! Congratulations on getting back in the groove. It will be wonderful to connect once again with Ish and friends.

  13. So glad to hear you are doing well. It’s a daily battle. You won’t win everyday but that doesn’t mean you can’t win the war. Best wishes.

      1. My brother suffers from depression and it’s very difficult for him to balance his meds and stay functional. It’s something that my brothers and I grew up with. I say with all sincerity, and to echo J Florre’s comment, sometimes it’s not about the win – it’s about the climb.

  14. Good to hear things are going well for you! Love your books and I’m looking forward to the new ones. Thanks!

  16. That is great news! You have a gift for story telling and I am glad the well is flowing. Keep doing what works for you and we fans will wait, perhaps impatiently at times, because your work is worth it! Best regards!

  17. I finally got my paperbacks of Captains and Owners share, so I finally have a full set of the first series!

    I’m super psyched about a continuation of Ish’s story! Keep up the good work!

  18. Perfect timing! Just listened to the books again (had to download them again since they got lost in new computer transfer) and thought it had been awhile to check out what you were working on. Only wished I had not stayed up till 3:30 AM listening to Owner’s Share – love the story but hate what it does to my sleep for a couple of days.

  20. i’m really excited to hear that your writing again. I can’t wait to see the new books when they’re ready

  21. Oh, I can’t wait. I’ve been looking forward to this day for years. For years, every February I listen to the entire series. This is perfect!

  22. Can’t wait for the new series, and enjoy reading about Ishmael. However, I will miss listening to your wonderful narrations so if there’s ever time…. Thanks for some truly enjoyable stories and eagerly awaiting more.

  24. I was talking to an SF author a couple of moths ago and mentioned your name and he told me he was a fan as well. Wish I could remember his name but just thought I’d show how your fellow authors also enjoy your books as I do myself and can’t wait for the first of your new ones to arrive. Have you got the books up on Amazon as a Pre-Order option?

    1. Thanks, Alastair. It’s good to know the word is still getting out there. 🙂

      And no, I don’t have a pre-order up yet. By the time I have all the pieces in place to set a book up as a pre-order, I can release it so I tend not to bother with the extra steps.

  25. Congratulations! This is fantastic new. I can’t wait to read it. I will be re-reading the Trader’s Tales in preparation.

  26. My wife & I are so pleased to hear about your new writings. We have really enjoyed listening to your audiobooks together. What a pleasure! How might I/we become beta readers?

  27. Hello Nathan.
    Must of listened to the 6_trader stories a dozen times over by now. The fluidity and imagry of your stories never ceases to take me to a happy place where life’s problems seem to fall to the back for a while.
    I so looking forward to the seeker series and have just one question. HOW DO I BECOME A BETA READER FOR YOU ?
    As an Englishman I do raise an eyebrow now and again at si.e small quirk, but on the whole….. you do OK…

    Keep your chin up and your head down.

    K

    1. Beta readers come from volunteers when I call for them.

      I call for them on my (somewhat) daily podcast over at TOMMW. You don’t need to listen to the podcast. You just need to watch the comment stream to see when people start signing up. Sign up there and I’ll send a link via email.

      I ask two things of betas: 1. Answer the single question “Does it work?” and 2. read the book within a couple of days.

      Generally by the time I get to beta readers, I’m only days away from needing to send the book to the editor.

  28. So glad to hear that there’s a new Ishmael Wang book coming. I never write to authors since I feel that you are busily trying to meet life’s daily goals and writing to make deadlines. However, I wanted you to know that I have now read all your books twice and feel that they are wonderfully written and that the characters are complex and warm. I love the idea of a “common man” instead of the swashbuckling hero type, but Ishmael’s intelligence and sense of values always makes me smile. I don’t say it well- but thank you for all of this.

  29. Waiting with anxious anticipation the new Ish novel! I have a nice Ardbeg single-malt to christen it with!

  30. General queztion. If Ish drank single malt scotch, which one would he favor? A nice 10 or 12 year old, aged in used bourbon barrels? Something light on the peat smoke with distinct notes of citrus and maltf sweetness? Or maybe something briney and heavy on the peat smoke? Maybe something a bit older and finished in sherry butts or sauterne casks? Feel free to chime in.

    1. My apologies for the spelling bloopers. My tablet’s word completion function has apparently suffered a mental breakdown of some sort. I had to resort to a software lobotomy to get it back under control.

      1. I’m sure something similar an be found “locally”. I was thinking of a bowmore 15 or a laphroaig cask strength. Surely the western annex must harbor a planet with a sizeable scotts population. I’ll bow to your superior knowledge of Ish’s tastes in single malts.

        I think it would be great fun to run Ish and Pip through a distillery looking for trade goods. That would be my idea of a gesat way to spend a few days…or weeks….or months….

        1. And I see that my tablet still has a difference of opinion on spelling. Anyone know where I can get the services of a St. Cloud Shaman?

  31. My heartfelt thanks for the news regarding a new novel. Your novels are like comfy slippers or honey, if you don’t mind wildly divergent similes, but I wanted to express how delightful they are to read. Suffering myself from chronic illness why ranges from pain to insomnia to depression, I understand all too well the balancing act that one goes through with medications. Glad you’ve worked them out. I’m coaching a new author and I wish he had one tenth your ability to make things flow.

  32. I’m hoping that you are feeling better every day.

    I’d just like to say that your writing has really kept me pepped up since I discovered you a couple years ago. Keep up the good work Nathan, I’ll see ya round the docks.

  33. I just wanted to say thank you for all your books. I have read or listened to each one of all your series numerous times. What is strange is that I am 63 years old USN vet who is a read-a-holic since childhood who is hooked on sci-fi. “May you have fair winds and a following sea”

  34. Thanks for the heads up Nathan. You’ve got me looking forward to some good reads this winter. I better start cutting some wood for the fireplace!

  35. This is such exciting news. I’m finishing up my 6th listening through the Traders Tail series and my wife hearing me listen decided to start again too. I’ve always been jealous of how quickly you write when you start hammering through it.

  36. Nathan…I’m very excited about the new book. I see it is available on kindle…will it be made available as EPUB through Kobo of Google play???

    1. Not for at least 6 months.

      I need to make a post about that this morning. Thanks for the reminder.

  37. Nathan — I just received my email about the publication of “In Ashes Born”. I’ve picked up a copy of the eBook on Amazon … and while I really don’t wish you to run into a dry spell … I LOVE your narration of your material and just can’t wait for you to release the audio! PLEASE do continue writing, reading and publishing both text and YOUR audio narration.

    Now to see just what kind of trouble is brewing in the Deep Dark…

  38. I got the email notification about “In Ashes Born”. The only problem, now that I finished it, I have to wait for the next installment. Thanks and keep up the great work.

  39. Just finished it. Nice to see Ish back. And looking forward to the next volume. It sounds like he’s heading for the proverbial ‘interesting times’!

    1. Not at the moment.

      I’ve been reminded that there is a gift-giving holiday just around the corner so if I can get ahead on the new titles, I may be able to find the time to make them into paper before that.

  41. There’s a particular sort of glee in discovering there’s a new book coming out which revisits a world—and characters—you love.

    There’s an even greater glee in discovering this a couple days after said book is released, so there’s no waiting.

  42. I picked up “In Ashes Born” last night and just finished it. I must say – you never disappoint. I just finished it and find myself “scraping my fork on my empty plate, wondering what happened to my breakfast”.

    I really need to learn to pace myself. I’m really hoping that the next book in the Ish series will be out soon….

      1. Since we, your loyal readers, hope to enjoy the fruits of your work for years to come please pace yourself! No burnout allowed!

  43. Nathan,
    Just read “in ashes born”. That was a great start keep me on the list. One of the crew.
    John

  44. Congratulations on the book release! I received the email, purchased it the same day and devoured it in way too short a time. Your writings must be laced with an addictive hallucinogenic. I have listened to or read everything you have written since the first Trader’s Tale. You have a way of bringing the reader’s consciousness entirely into your universe. I can’t thank you enough for the many many hours of entertainment. Your hard work is much appreciated.

  45. Just finished reading ‘in ashes born’. Really good! I’m very pleased that things seem to be going well for you – good for you personally and also for your loyal readers. Keep well!

  46. Great book! I’m really glad how the story is turning.

    Nothing happens but that’s how we like it. ; )

    When’s the next one? 😀

    1. Milk Run – Smuggler 1 – due at editor: 11/1 – release Dec 2015
      To Fire Called – Seeker 2 – due at editor: 12/1 – release Feb 2015
      Suicide Run – Smuggler 2 – due at editor: 1/1 – release Apr 2015

      Assuming I make my deadlines. I’m behind on Milk Run because I’ve been so distracted by the launch.

  47. Love ‘Ashes’! When Sifu Newmar came onstage, I teared up. Your characters, I realized, have become like family to me. It’s not for the swash and the buckle that I read, but for good, smart people intelligently, ethically, kindly and with humor solving “life’s persistent problems” against a cool background reality. Sorry. That really sounds pretty lame, but it’s honestly meant.

    Pretty, chilly autumn day here in Pennsylvania. I don’t teach today, so there’s a lap robe, coffee, and “Ashes” for an hour or two. The best! Thank you, Nathan.

  49. Just read From Ashes Born while following the news on the search for the crew of the El Faro. Having crossed the North Atlantic in winter I have some small inkling of how terrifying their seas must have been. Your books are an excellent reminder that while technology changes the beauty, tedium and terror of the life of a working sailor remains much the same. May God have mercy on those who go down to the sea in ships.

  50. Just found From Ashes Born and tore through it in record tempo. To the detriment of many other things I should have been doing, but am I sorry? Not really.

    Now I know what you meant when you said that Ish cut a *lot* of corners in the last book. Now we just wait until Phoenix Freight becomes the next Federated, right? :p

    No. I have a feeling you have something darker in store for this series. Maybe sating some of your less enthusiastic readers’ eternal appetite for “(bad) things to happen” in one of your books. Maybe. Probably not.

    I love how you framed this series as “what happens to people who fall through the cracks”. In this universe that, through the eyes of our “lucky bastard” Ishmael Wang, has always looked slightly more rosy than it probably should have, the answer to that question (still seen through teh same eyes) is bound to be interesting for sure. Meanwhile, the “magic touch” that I, as a reader, love so deeply in these books? Yep: it’s still there. The sponges were brilliant.

    I don’t know how you keep lifting other people’s spirits with your words, given that you’re clearly not always the paragon of indestructible optimism I once mistook you for. But yes, sar, you did it again. Thank you.

  51. From Ashes Born – what a great read! I loved it. Ish is back – and Pip, too. Their chemistry keeps the book flowing. And all the twists and turns just add to the spice. Thank you so much.

  52. I’ve found a couple of typos in “A Light In The Dark” and “In Ashes Born” but the “Report an Error or Typo” page does not seem to be working. Also, those books aren’t listed in the dropdown. Thoroughly enjoyed both! Thanks one again for the great reads!

    1. Thanks, Curt. Light should have been there but I just published Ashes and haven’t gotten to it.

      ETA: Fixed the form and added the new titles. Thanks for letting me know.

  53. Outstanding new book!!!!! Love Ish and Pip….. Bought the book and tore thru it in 3 hours!!!! I have listened to,your Share books countless times….. I consider every character a friend and hope to meet up with them again! Keep up the great work.

    Thanks for many many hours of enjoyment….. D

  55. Loved the new book….and am patiently awaiting whatever is next. Reading it caused me to re-read the whole series for the 5th time! I have now addicted three friends and a brother. Meanwhile, the smuggler series sounds fun, like maybe we can wander around all those places the traders couldn’t? Oh, and please let us not forget the shamans in South Coast?

    Despite many sleepless nights reading and re-reading the Trader Series, thank you for reminding all of us what actually literate books are like.

    Pat

  56. Finished ‘In Ashes Born’ and really enjoyed it. It is about time Ishmael got through a book without bad things happening to him! Keep up the good work and I look forward to more books!

  57. UM wow,

    I wasn’t on the list but picked this up yesterday morning and finished it just before midnight (Just another of your fine works I couldn’t put down)

    VERY appropriate title and nice storyline. It was nice to see old friends rejoin us and in very a interesting combination. I think I see Alys’ hand stirring a pot in the background in a not so expected way there.

    Nice job Mt. Lowell, thanks for all you do.

  58. Just read the new Ishmael ebook, Thank You for reuniting Ish and Pip ! I have been hoping for them to get back together ever since they left the Academy ! Together they make an incredible team !

  59. Nathan,

    I thought I’d share something I learned today with other troglodytes like myself. This may be common knowledge: you don’t need a Kindle device to read Kindle books! I downloaded the Kindle app for my iPad and I’m now reading In Ashes Born.

    1. It’s pretty common knowledge. You don’t need a Nook, a Kindle, or a Kobo device. They all have reader apps for smart phones and tablets. I only ever read on my phone these days. It’s the one device I always have with me. 🙂

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