We’ve reached the end of the first half of 2020.

Progress report:

I’ve managed to get the completes pieces for Troy Harbor into Scrivener so I can claim an completed draft. It’s that stage of the jigsaw puzzle where you’ve got all the pieces face up on the table and you’re looking for the edge pieces. Along the way, I’ve discovered characters who shouldn’t be there, identified at least two characters who should be there but aren’t, and at least one scene that I used in Cape Grace that needs to be completely redone for the new context. I also discovered that the new story is a lot stronger than I thought.

Nothing else has changed. I’m still waiting on cover sketches. Podium is on track for audio in the fall. I still haven’t published the paperback for Butler.

On the positive side, I walked more in June than May, I’m still not sick, and I’m cautiously optimistic that I’ll have this title out by the end of the month.

It was a good half, all indications to the contrary notwithstanding. I published two books, wrote almost 300,000 words, and still have three novels in the pipeline for publication. Second quarter wasn’t that great but it might have been much worse.

So, fingers crossed that I maintain the status quo and move the process forward without falling into the machinery.

Well, April flew, anyway. It was not a great month here. First, the numbers.

Month:	43,932
Year:	269,758
WIP:	72,154
Streak:	508,988
Days:	200
Average:	2,542

I tried to write three thousand words a day. I cratered when I finished the draft for Troy Harbor. After six months of writing every day, I’ve had a few – ahem – minimal days. Technically, my streak is intact at 200 days because my average is over 2k a day. This is the first month since last October that I failed to reach my goal.

Status Updates:

After all that work, I’m feeling burned out. I’ve been having a bit of a stay-cation and avoiding the word processor to try to recharge. Sadly, that also means my planner with all the careful notes has gone MIA.

Shaman’s Tales Audio I’ve signed a deal with Podium to produce the Shaman’s Tales for Audible. Jeffrey Kafer will read them. I still have no dates on the releases.

Cape Grace Ebook and paper are both out. Audio will be coming from Podium.

The Wizard’s Butler Released on March 22. I sent out a notice to the list. As usual, the paperback is lagging but there’s no contagion problem with ebooks.

Barbarians: Book 1: Hostage – I finished my edits and passed the manuscript over to my co-writer. She’s still working through it.

Troy Harbor Yes, the last in the line of Shaman’s Tales. First draft done. Cover in the works.

Dark Knight Station: Origins First draft done. Will need a cover artist for this one.

What’s Next:

I’m struggling with this. I’ve started the next Ishmael book. I have a rough plot outline for the next Ishmael trilogy. I’m not happy with it. It feels too much like work.

I want to follow up on the Butler book and Tanyth is calling me.

Reminder: I’ve got plans for Ishmael and Pip, Zoya and Natalya. I’ll be getting back to them. Probably in 2020. I’m not sure what – exactly – they’re going to do, but I didn’t spend five years putting them together only to let them sail off into the Deep Dark.

I’ve been reading a lot of stuff. More Glynn Stewart. More of the Paranormal Women’s Fiction. More Krista D. Ball. I go through them really quickly these days—when I can pull myself out of Fallout 4.

Last Words

I’ve had a bit of a respite for the last couple of weeks. A flood of green on my progress calendar has a line of red x’s on it where I’ve just kind of drawn in on myself and let the world go for a few days.

I’m planning on getting back on the horse today and seeing how far I can ride before it bucks me off again.

In the meantime, stay safe, keep reading, and hug any of your loved ones within reach.

Well, March was fun. Not really. It did yield decent results and I’m not sick so let’s work on the positive.

First, the numbers

March:	84,346
Year:	225,826
WIP (Troy Harbor)	44,931
Streak Words:	463,497
Days in a Row:	170
Average words per day:	2,726

STATUS

Audio:

• Home Run is currently available on Audible. It dropped March 3.
• South Coast is in production at Podium. Jeff Kafer will narrate. No word yet on schedule. I’ve contracted with Podium to produce all three Shaman’s Tales.

Paper:

• The Wizard’s Butler should be available in paper this month.

Ebook:

• The Wizard’s Butler dropped a couple of weeks ago. I haven’t even started thinking about audio for this yet.

WIP:

• Hostage (Book 1 of the Barbarians series) is in second draft. This book will be a while in production because I’m co-writing it and we both need to agree on the draft before we give it to the editor.
• Dark Knight Station: Origins is in second draft stage. It’s a mess and will take some time to get hammered into shape.
• Troy Harbor – the last of the Shaman’s Tales – is the current “new words” project I’m hoping to wrap that up in the next week. I’d like to wrap that series up before I forget too much about the story line.
• Next project will probably be the first of a new Ishmael series.

What am I reading?

I haven’t started it yet, but it’s next on my hit parade.

Glynn Stewart is one of the few writers I buy without sampling first. If you’ve been following his Starship’s Mage series, the next book dropped last month. I’ve got a copy already and should crack it open tomorrow.

Last Words

March brought a lot of changes for a lot of people. My situation here didn’t change that much. The four of us in the household weren’t known for rampaging around town to begin with so the only real changes involve how many trips I make to the grocery store a week.

Maintaining focus. That’s been the real challenge.

Not to say the month didn’t have its high points, starting with the release of The Wizard’s Butler. A few friends and I also got together to run the spring NovelRama event where a bunch of crazy people tried to write 25,000 words in 4 days.

The event proved to be as much fun and exciting as it’s always been. So many people who never thought they could do it proved themselves wrong. Just goes to show what happens if you can put your butt in the chair and stay focused on the task for a few days.

Thanks for all your support. I’m hoping April will be less stressful and that all of you stay sane and healthy.

Safe Voyage.