Four items of news today, folks! All of it good!
You know that old saying “No news is good news?” Well, I have been a little quiet over the last few weeks.
In fact, the area where I’ve been the most quiet is my Current Projects page, simply because a few months ago I forgot to update it for a few days and lost count of where I was on Hunter/Hunted. As in, I lost track of my word-count, which was my process for updating everyone.
Well, I haven’t gone through and added up a word count of each chapter. I mean, I could … but it was the holidays, etc etc. So I just went with “No news is good news” and kept writing.
And now? I can give you the good news. The Dusk Guard Saga: Hunter/Hunted has only four chapters left, counting the one I’m working on right now. Five, maybe, if something unexpected catches me by surprise.
Yeah, we’re talking next week.
Now, granted, that’s the Pre-Alpha draft. Once that’s done, I need to go back over it and make some changes here and there as noted by in-progress Early-Alpha Readers, as well as some general polish and checks of my own. Then it’s off to the Alpha Readers, and then off to the Beta Readers, and while that’s going on, I need to get a cover made and, well … yeah. Then it goes live.
Brief note if you’re not familiar with TDG: It’s fanfiction. I was a fanfiction author before I published anything, and I made my fanfic readers a promise to finish a series. Plus, it’s fun to write, and since it’s a freebie, I can use it to experiment and try new things before bringing them over into my published work.
But basically, welcome to the new year, TDG fans. You’re getting a new book!
Now, that does raise a few questions, like “What next?”
Well, I’m glad you asked. As soon as editing is going on Hunter/Hunted, I’m going to put together that Halo novel pitch.
I’ll admit it easily: I’m a Halo fan. I’ve owned the games (though I was a latecomer—Halo 2 was actually the first I owned, though I played the first at a friend’s home) and I’ve played quite a bit of Firefight. And I love multiplayer in 5. But I also have enjoyed some of the books and actually do like the expanded universe that’s been built around it over the years. And after writing Colony and Jungle, I thought to myself “Could I write a Halo book?”
Of course I can. So, for the past couple of months while I’ve been writing Hunter/Hunted, in the background, I’ve been stitching together a plot for a Halo novel.
Now, Halo books are now published by Gallery after their last publisher pulled some really customer-unfriendly moves (ones so unfriendly I still do not purchase books from them, despite a few of my favorite authors being there), which means there’s no guarantee of anything. It also means I won’t be writing out the full story. Instead, I’ll be writing the first three chapters, plus a later chapter to show a progression point, and then a brief outline of the overarching plot and characters, in hopes that Gallery reads it, likes it, and says “Sure!” and wants to publish it.
Now, I want to make something very clear: I will not be making a turning point into Trad Pub with this move. If any of you read that last chapter and worried that I was going to get snapped up … No. Just no. I won’t do that. This would be a case of hybrid publishing. It’d get my name out there, but even better, it’d just be fun to write a Halo book, and I know I’ve got the skills to pull it off.
Now, avoiding making it one of the longest Halo books to date? That’s the real challenge. But in any case, I’ll still keep self-publishing my books the way I like it. Hybrid publishing yes, selling my soul no. I like to make money at writing books.
The news doesn’t stop there however.
Look, I know there are a lot of you waiting for news on any sort of follow-up to Colony. I know this because I hear from you. Colony is by far and away my biggest hit, and my most-requested sequel story.
Well, good news folks. As soon as that Halo draft goes out to Gallery, guess what I sit down to do.
No, I won’t be writing Jungle. It’s already written! No, I’ll be starting the editing process on Jungle. And working on an episodic series of tie-in stories that will go up here, on the site, for free called Fireteam Freelance.
That second one is an experiment. But since it’ll be free on the site and listed as such, then if it crashes and burns it’ll crash and burn, and I’ll have learned some new tricks in the meantime. But what does this mean in the meantime for you?
It means, readers, that Jungle is coming this year. Barring something really unexpected, like Gallery wanting that Halo book absolutely ASAP.
And once that’s out and Fireteam Freelance is going up on the site? What’s next?
Well, given everything else, there’s not much point to talking about that far into the future right now. Let’s just say I think you’re going to like it.
Now, one last quick little update: Both Colony, Shadow of an Empire, and One Drink have all picked up new reviews and ratings over the last two weeks, all of them favorable. We’re talking Five-Star “When will I see more?” stuff! That goal of having 400 total by year’s end seems more likely all the time.
Well, time to finish Hunter/Hunted. Max out!
Huh. I sound like a Street Fighter character when I say that. Let’s hope there’s no “KO!” in this round.
Unusual Things 