September saw the return of “regular writing.” I didn’t exactly burn up the pages but progress has been made.

STATUS

New Ishmael
It’s three books. I finished my first clean up pass through the 1150 pages and marked out where the stories break. They’re going to take some work but it’s definitely three books.

The Wizard’s Cat
Over 30k words into this baby. I’ve got some plot holes that tripped me up over the last couple of days but the story is beginning to gel for me. This is very good.

AUDIO

Zypheria’s Call is on its way. Hermit of Lammas Wood is not far behind.

Salt? Not in production yet. This one is going to take a while.

What Am I Reading?

I’ve been reading like a fiend. Sixty-seven titles between July 1 and September 15. Over 150 so far this year. I’ve picked up a lot of new stuff but one that really sticks out over the last couple of weeks is M. C. Burnell’s Three Faces of Dissatisfaction. It’s the first book in a four book series and it’s staggeringly well done.

Great world building. A fantasy setting that doesn’t rely on the usual tropes. Rich political threads. Wonderful characters in a really large ensemble. I’m looking forward to digging back into this universe as soon as I clear some of the long-standing TBR titles off my pile.

Maybe grab a sample and see what you think.

Looking Ahead

I’m really looking forward to clearing the Tanyth audiobooks off my desk. They’ve been hanging open for years and it’ll be a load off my mind to finally have them out in the world.

The new Ishmael calls me, distracts me from the Cat, but I need to sort out the Cat. I was doing well, getting the story down … then it crashed into a solid wall of plotonium and I’m still trying to sort out the pieces.

Regardless, October is going to be cool – and I’m not just talking about the weather.

Fingers crossed.

Safe Voyage.

I know it’s not Autumn yet, and back-to-school has happened for a lot of people already but September has always marked the End Of Summer to me. A time to get busy and get back to enjoying cooler weather.

That’s not actually what happens in Colorado. We’ll have 80 and 90 degree days into October, when it will likely snow.

Be that as it may, I’m seeing a trend.

Status

Salt is out in ebook. Audio is up in the air. It won’t be happening any time soon because it will take at least 3 months to get it into production and out the other side. Probably more like six.

New Ishmael
I’ve cracked open that massive file and started chipping away at putting the story together. I’m pretty sure there are three books in there, but I’m not sure what they are yet. I am sure I like what I’ve found so far, even if the continuity issues are a nightmare. That’s what I get for writing new words for eight months in the same file.

The Wizard’s Cat
I haven’t made any progress on this at all. It’s hanging in at about 8k words – with at least 92k left to go. That’s the bad news. The good news is that we’re starting a new writing challenge next week and I’m planning on getting back on the 2k a day horse which should (and I can’t emphasize that word enough) help. Fingers crossed.

Audio

I’ve started the process for Zypheria’s Call. I got interrupted when Audible decided they couldn’t sell Ravenwood any more because the chapters were out of sequence. (Duh. They fixed it last month, fer cryin’ outloud.) As soon as that gets squared away, I’ll pick up where I left off. It’s still going to be a while before it clears through the process but it’s on its way.

What Am I Reading?

I’ve been on a litRPG kick for the last few weeks. I just finished the Noobtown series by Ryan Rimmel.

Book one started out a little rocky but by the time I finished book 5, I found myself wishing for some of the old online text based adventures of yore. Along with the usual leveling up and power-ups, there’s a lot of just plain funny stuff happening. I had to stop reading a couple of times and laugh.

Book 1, The Mayor of Noobtown. Maybe grab a sample and see what you think.

Looking Ahead

I’m really looking forward to getting back into the groove. It’s “fits and starts” now but I think it’s smoothing out and becoming more consistent.

I’m getting better at getting out for my walk. I walked more often in August than July, which helps me with managing all the rest of it.

I’m still reading a lot and enjoying the quiet.

I suspect getting some quiet inside my head will help me hear the voices better.

In the meantime, safe voyage.

NL

The phrase comes from the ancient Romans who believed that the sun rising with the brightest (hottest) star Sirius in Canis Major caused the summer heat. Has nothing to do with lounging around panting in the shade – other than it’s a pretty good thing to do here in the northern hemisphere.

South of the equator, not so much.

Status

Salt – Book 1 of the Barbarians
This should drop this month. I’m the hold up and I’m not proud of it.

New Ishmael
There’s a lot of stuff there that I need to sort out. I’m liking what I’m seeing. I’m not looking forward to unraveling that monster but somebody has to.

The Wizard’s Cat
It’s on the word processing machine. It’s twitching a little.

Audio

Ravenwood is available as an audio book. You can get it almost anywhere you can buy audiobooks – like Audible. I have the other two books done and will be uploading them over the next few weeks. Veronica Giguere did a great job bringing Tanyth to life.

What Am I Reading?

I’m participating in a reading challenge with The Royal Manticoran Navy so I’m reading a lot. Twenty-seven books in the month of July. Not quite one a day. The challenge runs through mid September but I’m going to have to limit my reading time if I want to get anything written between now and then.

I’ve had some stand out titles, and some surprises. One of them was from a new author – Judith Moffitt – and her series The Coup.

This is old school space opera and it sizzles. Yes, there’s a war. Yes, there’s politics and romance and tragedy and – well – everything. The characters pulled me into this universe and wouldn’t let me out for about three days. I was sad when I got to the end.

Why not grab a sample and see what you think about book 1 – A Line in the Sand.

Looking Ahead

August needs to be a “work month” where the last couple have been more of a “refilling the well” period. The reading has invigorated me. I’m beginning to get more regular in my walking. I’m feeling good about the stories I have in the pipeline and the work that’s hovering just out of sight.

I’m looking forward to sharing it all with you as the wheel of the year cycles out of summer and into autumn and winter.

Safe voyage.