I know I’ve been pretty quiet this week. I’ve been focused.

But before I say anything else. Before I talk about book news or any of the other tidbits I want to touch on today, I want to say one thing.

Thank you to everyone who left a supportive comment last week. They may not have seemed like much to you, but they gave me some piece of mind. I still don’t know if the current opening chapters of Starforge will stay the way they are by the end, but I know a lot of you were just happy to hear that I’m working my best on it and wanted to remind me of that.

So thank you. Your words of support helped ease my mind quite a bit, and I appreciated them greatly.

Tying into that, many of you will be glad to hear that I continued to press foward, and Starforge‘s first draft now sits at 123,156 words! Part one is complete, the interlude is written, and today I get to start on part two! Where things will blow up, characters will die, and … Well, I’ve already said too much. But I’m glad for all your support, and I’m working hard to make this the biggest, baddest, most jaw-dropping finale you could ask for.

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So then, is there much else to report with Starforge? Well, not really. It’s coming along, and I’m really grateful for your support. At the current rate, the first draft won’t be finished until at least a few months into next year (maybe as many as six) but once again … this is the last book in the series. And it’s wild.

So let’s talk about some news for another book you’re all eagerly waiting for: Axtara – Banking and Finance. And, well … I’ve got some bad news.

I know I wanted to get the ebook release out this month, but I’m still zero-zero for a cover, though not for lack of trying or reaching out. Which means … December-late November. Early November, with the election and all, is a no-go.

Sorry guys. The universe just didn’t want this book to come out any earlier. I’ll keep trying to get a cover lined up, but in the meantime I apologize for the delay. I really would like to get this one out ASAP, but … without a cover, it’d be a naked book!

So I apologize, and ask that you please be patient and not forget that it is still coming. I’ll update you guys as soon as I have something more to show.

But since we’re talking about Axtara, let’s really quick talk price, just so you know how much you’ll want to save up.

It won’t take you long. Right now the tentative price for Axtara is …

$3.99.

Yeah, that’s right. $4.

But why is a question I can already hear you asking, especially based on the prices of some of my other books. Simple. Axtara is only 123,000 words long (Okay, that’s amusing; same length as the in-progress draft of Starforge). I charge $8 for Jungle, yes, and Shadow of an Empire launched at that price … but they were also a good 3-4 times larger than Axtara. Comparatively, while still a fun book, Axtara is a shorter journey, and therefore I feel it should be priced accordingly. I might move that to $4.99 on launch, as I need to figure out how that price will pay with the tiers of selling and my habit of the “descending long tail.” And I have no idea what the paperback will cost. Once I have a cover …

Side note here: This is confirmation that the usual drop of prior material will occur once Axtara releases. Shadow of an Empire and Jungle will both see a drop, Shadow for its second and final time, Jungle for its first. Gotta keep that tail growing!

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Okay, so that’s it for book and writing updates. Now I want to talk about something else that I consider extremely important. Forewarning: Things are about to get political.

It’s probably no surprise to any of you that have read Colony that I consider being aware of what your government does an extremely important detail that too many citizens gloss over in favor of easily-swayed bite-sized soundbites. And given that it’s election season in the United States … you can probably guess what’s coming next.

VOTE. Please. And not just in sense of “Eh, this guy seemed good, I guess I’ll vote for him.” Dig deep.

Last night I spent more than three hours filling out my ballot. I researched every single candidate, from presidential to the state attorney. I dug so far as to look up candidate’s twitter postings and read up on prior votes and decisions they’d made.

Point being that I carefully made every decision. How could I not? Those that have read my work know how much effort goes into managing systems of government (of any system really). And shouldn’t be shocked to know that when it’s my time to make a decision for that system, even for a decision-maker, I take it seriously.

Why tell you all this? Because if you’re in the US, and eligible to vote, do. But please do not treat it as a simple “in and out here’s my sticker” issue. Dig deep! Research everyone—even from those other parties you’re opposed to simply because they might not be your party! Sands, investigate your own party just as thoroughly! You might find that you sternly disagree with some of the stances of people you’d have habitually voted for!

Take the time to read through things, and find the candidates that best represent you. Compromise may be involved. Or not.

But regardless, vote. America only functions as a nation if the populace are informed and involved. The less of either we are, the closer we step towards something like Colony actually being a reality. And there, the people don’t have much of a choice left.

So seriously, please get out and vote. Fill out your ballot. Take the necessary time to study the candidates and their positions, rather than just “voting” to have done something.

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That’s all I’ve got for today, folks. I’ll catch you Monday. Enjoy your weekend, and stay safe!