Cameron Darrow's Blog, page 6
February 18, 2022
Blog Hiatus
Starting I guess last week, since I didn't write a post, I'm going to be taking a bit of a hiatus from blog posts. Everything is fine! Don't worry.
They're better than fine, actually, Book 6 is going very well, and I'm taking time away from here so I can dedicate as much time as I can to it. Unfortunately, that means less of an opportunity for interaction with you all, but Book 6 is very time-consuming (in the best way). I'm putting in more hours per day on this book than I have in any book for some time, and I want to keep that train rolling.
I will still be checking in here if you send me a DM or leave a comment, but I won't be writing new blog posts until the first draft of Book 6 is done, at the earliest. That'll be worth the wait, right?
Thank you for understanding. You mean the world to me, and I want to have something truly special for you when I return. Until then, stay safe and be excellent to each other.
They're better than fine, actually, Book 6 is going very well, and I'm taking time away from here so I can dedicate as much time as I can to it. Unfortunately, that means less of an opportunity for interaction with you all, but Book 6 is very time-consuming (in the best way). I'm putting in more hours per day on this book than I have in any book for some time, and I want to keep that train rolling.
I will still be checking in here if you send me a DM or leave a comment, but I won't be writing new blog posts until the first draft of Book 6 is done, at the earliest. That'll be worth the wait, right?
Thank you for understanding. You mean the world to me, and I want to have something truly special for you when I return. Until then, stay safe and be excellent to each other.
February 4, 2022
The Importance of Reviews
At the end of all of my books, I ask people to leave a review of it when they're finished, but it's not for the reasons you might think.
Is it because I want to hear how awesome I am? No. (I mean, it's nice, but...) It's not about ego at all, it's not even about me.
It's about you, and the books you want to see more of. The books that we want to see more of. I write the books I do because they're the books I want to read. And hopefully so do you! If you do, then so do others. But I can shout and scream and beg and cajole about my own books all day long, but do you really listen to what authors have to say about their own books beyond what they're about? I can't tell you if they're good or not, and even if I tried, most people wouldn't believe me. Of course I'm going to say they're good.
Isn't it more likely that you're going to listen to others, your peers with similar interests, and what they have to say about a book? How often do you go straight to the reviews to help make up your mind about if you're going to take the plunge on a book (or a series! all of this goes double for a series!)?
And this isn't about helping me sell books. There's no way for me to convince you of that other than to ask you believe me, I know, but it really isn't. I write in a subniche within a subniche, for the most part. I mean, wlw historical fantasy alternate universe with a healthy dollop of romance? WTF am I even doing? How many people write in that... uh, genre? Not many, and I will never be Stephen King. I write the stories I do with the characters I do because I think they're important, and have something to say, things other people like you might want to hear, or see. But there is so much stuff on Amazon, it's almost impossible to find what you're looking for half the time.
Reviews help get books seen. They help connect people who like the things you do to stories they may not otherwise find, let alone take a chance on. It doesn't have to be much, you don't need to write a book report, just your honest opinion about what you read. One or two sentences can go a long way!
I don't know if I've done a good job making my case, but as a tiny indie author, know that I value each and every one of you regardless of what you choose to do when you finish one of my books. As long as my stories made a difference to you, that's enough. Just keep in mind that it's within your power to perhaps help them make a difference to someone else, too.
Is it because I want to hear how awesome I am? No. (I mean, it's nice, but...) It's not about ego at all, it's not even about me.
It's about you, and the books you want to see more of. The books that we want to see more of. I write the books I do because they're the books I want to read. And hopefully so do you! If you do, then so do others. But I can shout and scream and beg and cajole about my own books all day long, but do you really listen to what authors have to say about their own books beyond what they're about? I can't tell you if they're good or not, and even if I tried, most people wouldn't believe me. Of course I'm going to say they're good.
Isn't it more likely that you're going to listen to others, your peers with similar interests, and what they have to say about a book? How often do you go straight to the reviews to help make up your mind about if you're going to take the plunge on a book (or a series! all of this goes double for a series!)?
And this isn't about helping me sell books. There's no way for me to convince you of that other than to ask you believe me, I know, but it really isn't. I write in a subniche within a subniche, for the most part. I mean, wlw historical fantasy alternate universe with a healthy dollop of romance? WTF am I even doing? How many people write in that... uh, genre? Not many, and I will never be Stephen King. I write the stories I do with the characters I do because I think they're important, and have something to say, things other people like you might want to hear, or see. But there is so much stuff on Amazon, it's almost impossible to find what you're looking for half the time.
Reviews help get books seen. They help connect people who like the things you do to stories they may not otherwise find, let alone take a chance on. It doesn't have to be much, you don't need to write a book report, just your honest opinion about what you read. One or two sentences can go a long way!
I don't know if I've done a good job making my case, but as a tiny indie author, know that I value each and every one of you regardless of what you choose to do when you finish one of my books. As long as my stories made a difference to you, that's enough. Just keep in mind that it's within your power to perhaps help them make a difference to someone else, too.
January 27, 2022
Preparing for the End
This week I started prepping for the final book in the From the Ashes of Victory series, and it made me feel... weird. There's something about knowing that this is the last time that brings up all kinds of emotions that I don't know how to process quite yet.
I have been living with these characters for almost six years, and getting ready to say good-bye to them is really difficult at the same time it's immensely gratifying. Going back to the previous books to refresh a few things, I see just how far these characters have come, and it's genuinely easy for me to forget that I'm the reason. I did that. WTF? It doesn't feel real. I read things I wrote and wonder how the hell I came up with any of it. It sometimes feels like being deep into a story or a character is like a kind of fugue state that doesn't actually imprint on your memory.
Tough going when you're writing a series! All the old books, all of my notes, they're all going in the cauldron and I'm taking my time in prepping this one. I don't want to leave out anything I may have forgotten that might help make this final book as good as it can be.
Remember, November was my first novel, so I've never finished a series before. It has its own unique challenges (that I am enjoying so far), some I anticipated and others I didn't. I know what I don't want to do, that's for sure, but there's a lot of work yet between here and 'The End' that I do want.
Book 6 is not like other books. It can't be. I know that, and each stage of its creation is going to be different, and special. A lot of blog posts over the next few months are going to be me processing these feelings (good and bad), so I hope you'll bear with me. If you love the Ashes books, you may be feeling a few of the same things, so I hope you'll indulge my presumption that we take the journey together.
Normally I say that I can't wait to show you what happens, but this time I can. Just a little bit.
I have been living with these characters for almost six years, and getting ready to say good-bye to them is really difficult at the same time it's immensely gratifying. Going back to the previous books to refresh a few things, I see just how far these characters have come, and it's genuinely easy for me to forget that I'm the reason. I did that. WTF? It doesn't feel real. I read things I wrote and wonder how the hell I came up with any of it. It sometimes feels like being deep into a story or a character is like a kind of fugue state that doesn't actually imprint on your memory.
Tough going when you're writing a series! All the old books, all of my notes, they're all going in the cauldron and I'm taking my time in prepping this one. I don't want to leave out anything I may have forgotten that might help make this final book as good as it can be.
Remember, November was my first novel, so I've never finished a series before. It has its own unique challenges (that I am enjoying so far), some I anticipated and others I didn't. I know what I don't want to do, that's for sure, but there's a lot of work yet between here and 'The End' that I do want.
Book 6 is not like other books. It can't be. I know that, and each stage of its creation is going to be different, and special. A lot of blog posts over the next few months are going to be me processing these feelings (good and bad), so I hope you'll bear with me. If you love the Ashes books, you may be feeling a few of the same things, so I hope you'll indulge my presumption that we take the journey together.
Normally I say that I can't wait to show you what happens, but this time I can. Just a little bit.
January 20, 2022
Post-release Release
The release of every book feels different. Sometimes it's cathartic, and you want to run out into the street and dance. Sometimes it's just a huge relief that it's done and over with. I think the pregnancy metaphor can get a little overwrought, but oftentimes it does feel appropriate. When the book comes out, you're tired but happy after carrying this thing around inside you for months and once it's out, you can look at this entirely new piece of the world that didn't exist before with pride.
The Raven and the Firebird is somewhere in between, if I'm honest. The very first thing I wrote for it was almost three years ago, and not only was it originally for book 4 instead of 5, that bit didn't even make the published book. The event did (I mention which one in the Afterword but won't here, since it's a gigantic spoiler), though, and went through multiple iterations before reaching your eyeballs in the final version of The Raven and the Firebird. There was a ton of overlap in the writing of books 4 and 5 (so much so it doesn't feel like I wrote two standalone fantasy romances since I started), and that makes it feel like I've been working on this one chunk of the story forever. So, in short, I'm very glad it's out, and I can now move on to something entirely new with these characters and this world.
One thing that happens to me post-release with every book is a weird sense of clarity about the story I just finished. Like all authors, I immediately find a thousand things I would change and a comma I forgot or whatever, but I do genuinely get this feeling of fresh eyes once the 'publish' button is hit. I can more easily see it through the perspective of those I know are reading it, trying to perceive things the way they do. So I often find myself re-reading parts of the book despite the fact that only days earlier I was ready to fire it into the sun for how sick of it I was. I dunno, it's weird. I don't think it means anything, but for a series, it does kind of help me to pick out things I may not have set up (or the opposite, telegraphed) for subsequent books.
Subsequent book, I should say. There's only one more left in the From the Ashes of Victory series, and I'm very much of two minds about that. On one hand, I will probably feel enough completion to put me in a coma, but on the other... it'll be done. Over. These characters, this world, will all be behind me, when they've been so much a part of me for so long.
I think that's one big reason the release of TRatF felt so different. It was like coming around the final corner to see that all that lies ahead is the finish line. Years and years of blood, tears toil and sweat will come to an end. I'm not an Olympic athlete, but I find myself trying to imagine what it's like to be one on the way home. Do you just stare out the window like a zombie? Do you sleep for a month? 'Hollow but accomplished' is how I picture it feeling, but I won't know until I get on the plane. All I know is that I already plan to empty the drinks cart when I do (and it won't be those little tiny bottles, either).
But I'm getting ahead of myself. I have an entire novel to write, and only one chance to get it right. Is Book 6* next on the docket? Maybe. I don't know yet. I want to savor the release of 5 first, take stock, and then decide. This journey has been unlike any other I've ever taken in my life, and sometimes I just need a minute.
If you're reading Raven, I hope you're enjoying it. If you're just discovering me now, welcome. Perhaps in time my characters will come to feel like family to you, or you may just move on. Either way, thank you for giving me a chance. And to those who have stuck with me and this series so far: an extra-special thank you. Two of them if you've ever left a review or told me what these books mean to you. It's so rare, and precious, for authors to get direct feedback, it means more than you know. I will do my best to give you, and the witches of EVE, the send-off they deserve.
Just going to enjoy this moment first.
*I do, and have always, known the title of the final book, the only question was if it was going to be for 6 or 7. Telling you means it's real, and oh, who spilled all these onions?
The Raven and the Firebird is somewhere in between, if I'm honest. The very first thing I wrote for it was almost three years ago, and not only was it originally for book 4 instead of 5, that bit didn't even make the published book. The event did (I mention which one in the Afterword but won't here, since it's a gigantic spoiler), though, and went through multiple iterations before reaching your eyeballs in the final version of The Raven and the Firebird. There was a ton of overlap in the writing of books 4 and 5 (so much so it doesn't feel like I wrote two standalone fantasy romances since I started), and that makes it feel like I've been working on this one chunk of the story forever. So, in short, I'm very glad it's out, and I can now move on to something entirely new with these characters and this world.
One thing that happens to me post-release with every book is a weird sense of clarity about the story I just finished. Like all authors, I immediately find a thousand things I would change and a comma I forgot or whatever, but I do genuinely get this feeling of fresh eyes once the 'publish' button is hit. I can more easily see it through the perspective of those I know are reading it, trying to perceive things the way they do. So I often find myself re-reading parts of the book despite the fact that only days earlier I was ready to fire it into the sun for how sick of it I was. I dunno, it's weird. I don't think it means anything, but for a series, it does kind of help me to pick out things I may not have set up (or the opposite, telegraphed) for subsequent books.
Subsequent book, I should say. There's only one more left in the From the Ashes of Victory series, and I'm very much of two minds about that. On one hand, I will probably feel enough completion to put me in a coma, but on the other... it'll be done. Over. These characters, this world, will all be behind me, when they've been so much a part of me for so long.
I think that's one big reason the release of TRatF felt so different. It was like coming around the final corner to see that all that lies ahead is the finish line. Years and years of blood, tears toil and sweat will come to an end. I'm not an Olympic athlete, but I find myself trying to imagine what it's like to be one on the way home. Do you just stare out the window like a zombie? Do you sleep for a month? 'Hollow but accomplished' is how I picture it feeling, but I won't know until I get on the plane. All I know is that I already plan to empty the drinks cart when I do (and it won't be those little tiny bottles, either).
But I'm getting ahead of myself. I have an entire novel to write, and only one chance to get it right. Is Book 6* next on the docket? Maybe. I don't know yet. I want to savor the release of 5 first, take stock, and then decide. This journey has been unlike any other I've ever taken in my life, and sometimes I just need a minute.
If you're reading Raven, I hope you're enjoying it. If you're just discovering me now, welcome. Perhaps in time my characters will come to feel like family to you, or you may just move on. Either way, thank you for giving me a chance. And to those who have stuck with me and this series so far: an extra-special thank you. Two of them if you've ever left a review or told me what these books mean to you. It's so rare, and precious, for authors to get direct feedback, it means more than you know. I will do my best to give you, and the witches of EVE, the send-off they deserve.
Just going to enjoy this moment first.
*I do, and have always, known the title of the final book, the only question was if it was going to be for 6 or 7. Telling you means it's real, and oh, who spilled all these onions?
January 17, 2022
It's Out!
The Raven and the Firebird is now available!
I hope you enjoy the latest adventure in the 'From the Ashes of Victory' series. Thank you to every single person who has or is still reading the other four, I sincerely hope you enjoy it, and that it meets your expectations. If you've ever left a review or even a rating, I doubly thank you; it means so much to know that these books are connecting with people.
Colours and Raven have been a monumental effort, and I thank you again for your patience and for sticking with both me and this story. I'm incredibly lucky to have the support that I do, and if you're reading this, you're a part of it. Even if I don't know you personally, knowing that there are real people on the other end, and that my stories mean anything to anyone outside of my skull is still hard to believe.
I will save my full emotional breakdown for when the series is over, so for now I will just say thank you again.
Enjoy.
I hope you enjoy the latest adventure in the 'From the Ashes of Victory' series. Thank you to every single person who has or is still reading the other four, I sincerely hope you enjoy it, and that it meets your expectations. If you've ever left a review or even a rating, I doubly thank you; it means so much to know that these books are connecting with people.
Colours and Raven have been a monumental effort, and I thank you again for your patience and for sticking with both me and this story. I'm incredibly lucky to have the support that I do, and if you're reading this, you're a part of it. Even if I don't know you personally, knowing that there are real people on the other end, and that my stories mean anything to anyone outside of my skull is still hard to believe.
I will save my full emotional breakdown for when the series is over, so for now I will just say thank you again.
Enjoy.
January 13, 2022
What is 'The Raven and the Firebird' About?
In short: responsibility. Over the course of four books, we've seen our heroes grow and change, taking on every challenge put to them both internal and external. Through their trials, the witches of EVE have gained notoriety and influence, becoming icons of witchkind through the choices they've made and risks they've taken. Millie and Elise have grown as close as it's possible to be; Victoria pursued her doctorate in physics; Katya became the headmistress of a conservatory for young women who want to take their lives into their own hands, all while being considered by many the most powerful witches to ever live.
But what does it mean to wield it? To lead?
With darkness threatening to take over Germany, EVE's original founding principles will be tested against what it has become. Its past weighed against its future. The truth against its secrets.
The Raven and the Firebird follows on from the developments in Colours of Dawn, exploring new and altered relationships, while expanding the scope of the world and EVE's influence beyond where it has ever been. Sweet moments, sad ones, small and large, The Raven and the Firebird runs the emotional gamut that you've come to expect from this series. There are things in it that I have waited five books to get to, and I cannot wait for you to experience them all, starting January 18th!
The Raven and the Firebird is also the second-to-last book in the series, so I hope you not only enjoy it, but savor it.
But what does it mean to wield it? To lead?
With darkness threatening to take over Germany, EVE's original founding principles will be tested against what it has become. Its past weighed against its future. The truth against its secrets.
The Raven and the Firebird follows on from the developments in Colours of Dawn, exploring new and altered relationships, while expanding the scope of the world and EVE's influence beyond where it has ever been. Sweet moments, sad ones, small and large, The Raven and the Firebird runs the emotional gamut that you've come to expect from this series. There are things in it that I have waited five books to get to, and I cannot wait for you to experience them all, starting January 18th!
The Raven and the Firebird is also the second-to-last book in the series, so I hope you not only enjoy it, but savor it.
January 11, 2022
Release date announcement!
I am very happy to finally announce that The Raven and the Firebird, the penultimate From the Ashes of Victory novel, will be out January 18th! Four years to the day since the release of Remember, November.
It's been a long road to get here, but I am so excited to share it with you!
It's been a long road to get here, but I am so excited to share it with you!
January 6, 2022
2022
Happy New Year! Welcome back to my little corner of the internet.
I won't be making any predictions.
I learned my lesson over the last two years that all of my predictions and 'things I want to get done this year' ideas are rendered compost by the middle of March, so you won't be getting that from me again. I've had too much dashed to want to risk voicing it and attracting the gods of irony and hubris. Does it sound like I've given up hope?
I haven't. Not at all. I've just had a shift in perspective. I've realized that I need to roll with things more and get done what I can get done on a day-to-day basis. I literally hurt myself last year trying to will Without Words into existence faster, and it ended up making things slower. I got less done because I pushed too hard. Last year I really thought was the year I could get out three books. I got one.
It's important to have goals, but I don't think it does me, or you, any good to espouse and articulate over them when I think the one thing that we've all learned lately is that we have less control over things than we thought. So me sitting here saying that I'm going to have x number of books out or that I will totally and most definitely finish the Ashes books or whatever is stupid and hurtful for you and me if I fail.
I don't know. I pushed really hard to get Without Words finished and it backfired, and bashing my brains out over The Raven and the Firebird is the closest I've ever come to burning out writing. I think we were all tired at the end of last year, and I was no exception.
BUT! The beginning of the year is a time for hope, optimism and renewal, and I had a good, long break. So I will venture to tell you that I want to do something new this year. I have plenty of ideas and therefore no shortage of options, so the hardest part will be deciding which to pursue. I have characters I'm already in love with I want to share, and notebooks full of stories to write.
If this post started off as a bummer, I apologize, but I hope it ends satisfying enough! Evolution is constant change, and growth can only be achieved in new spaces. Wish me luck, as I do to you.
Let's see what awaits.
I won't be making any predictions.
I learned my lesson over the last two years that all of my predictions and 'things I want to get done this year' ideas are rendered compost by the middle of March, so you won't be getting that from me again. I've had too much dashed to want to risk voicing it and attracting the gods of irony and hubris. Does it sound like I've given up hope?
I haven't. Not at all. I've just had a shift in perspective. I've realized that I need to roll with things more and get done what I can get done on a day-to-day basis. I literally hurt myself last year trying to will Without Words into existence faster, and it ended up making things slower. I got less done because I pushed too hard. Last year I really thought was the year I could get out three books. I got one.
It's important to have goals, but I don't think it does me, or you, any good to espouse and articulate over them when I think the one thing that we've all learned lately is that we have less control over things than we thought. So me sitting here saying that I'm going to have x number of books out or that I will totally and most definitely finish the Ashes books or whatever is stupid and hurtful for you and me if I fail.
I don't know. I pushed really hard to get Without Words finished and it backfired, and bashing my brains out over The Raven and the Firebird is the closest I've ever come to burning out writing. I think we were all tired at the end of last year, and I was no exception.
BUT! The beginning of the year is a time for hope, optimism and renewal, and I had a good, long break. So I will venture to tell you that I want to do something new this year. I have plenty of ideas and therefore no shortage of options, so the hardest part will be deciding which to pursue. I have characters I'm already in love with I want to share, and notebooks full of stories to write.
If this post started off as a bummer, I apologize, but I hope it ends satisfying enough! Evolution is constant change, and growth can only be achieved in new spaces. Wish me luck, as I do to you.
Let's see what awaits.
December 16, 2021
2021
With The Raven and the Firebird still off in Beta Land and the next two weeks filled with holiday activities (and holidays), I'm going to make this the last scheduled post of the year, and look back on the year that was.
2021 was... not great. I know that is a sentiment shared by many, so I'm not going to pretend I am unique. This year I only got out one book, and it was the first year since 2018 that I didn't release a From the Ashes of Victory novel. That really hurts, and I'm disappointed in myself for not being able to get The Raven and the Firebird under the wire. For as awful as 2020 was, I got out two books and a box set! This year felt like a regression.
I think one reason is that this year is the closest I have ever come to feeling burned out. I worked really hard this year, but still only finished one book. I remember when that would have been a miracle all by itself, but now it's a bummer. I don't know what it was exactly, I think it's probably the cumulative exhaustion of the last two years, but I could feel my enthusiasm waning as the year went on, and writing getting harder and harder. I have a lot to be proud of over the last two years, perhaps it's just the usual end-of-the-year fatigue setting in. Dunno. Helpful and worthy of a blog post I know, but that's where I am. If you're in the same place, I hope at least you can feel that you aren't alone!
Now, the good parts! Without Words has been very well received by readers, and I am very happy with not only the book as a whole, but specifically Zifa as a character. I know she puts some people off early, but being able to craft an engaging fantasy story and a sweet romance around a differently-abled character who has a very limited ability to express herself was a challenge I am proud to say I lived up to. I adore Zifa, and I am so glad to see her connecting to people who stick with her story.
On non-book-related matters: I don't normally do this, but I feel I have an obligation to make a recommendation: watch Arcane on Netflix. It's a fantasy show that looks like a moving painting. A bit steampunk, a bit Bioshock, the main characters are two sisters, and a good bit of the plot revolves around mixing magic with science. If you like my books, you will love Arcane. It's based on the game League of Legends, but you don't have to know anything about the game to understand what's happening. I didn't (and still don't), and it's by far my favorite piece of storytelling from 2021. If you're not sure, or think animation is weird/for kids or whatever, watch the first three episodes. Give it a chance. It is absolutely wonderful. The story, the world, the characters, the artwork, the performances, it is all straight A+ from end to end. I've watched the entire season twice already.
With that, I'm going to take a long-overdue break these next few weeks, then get The Raven and the Firebird fixed up and out to you all. You've been very patient, and I am very much looking forward to being able to share the continuing story of Victoria, Katya and Millie with you all.
I cannot thank you enough for all of your support and encouragement over the years. It always means a lot, and never more than this year. You're big part of the reason I do this, and I can't wait to introduce you to more characters, more stories (and more worlds!) in the coming months and years.
Much love to every one of you, stay safe and be excellent to each other.
2021 was... not great. I know that is a sentiment shared by many, so I'm not going to pretend I am unique. This year I only got out one book, and it was the first year since 2018 that I didn't release a From the Ashes of Victory novel. That really hurts, and I'm disappointed in myself for not being able to get The Raven and the Firebird under the wire. For as awful as 2020 was, I got out two books and a box set! This year felt like a regression.
I think one reason is that this year is the closest I have ever come to feeling burned out. I worked really hard this year, but still only finished one book. I remember when that would have been a miracle all by itself, but now it's a bummer. I don't know what it was exactly, I think it's probably the cumulative exhaustion of the last two years, but I could feel my enthusiasm waning as the year went on, and writing getting harder and harder. I have a lot to be proud of over the last two years, perhaps it's just the usual end-of-the-year fatigue setting in. Dunno. Helpful and worthy of a blog post I know, but that's where I am. If you're in the same place, I hope at least you can feel that you aren't alone!
Now, the good parts! Without Words has been very well received by readers, and I am very happy with not only the book as a whole, but specifically Zifa as a character. I know she puts some people off early, but being able to craft an engaging fantasy story and a sweet romance around a differently-abled character who has a very limited ability to express herself was a challenge I am proud to say I lived up to. I adore Zifa, and I am so glad to see her connecting to people who stick with her story.
On non-book-related matters: I don't normally do this, but I feel I have an obligation to make a recommendation: watch Arcane on Netflix. It's a fantasy show that looks like a moving painting. A bit steampunk, a bit Bioshock, the main characters are two sisters, and a good bit of the plot revolves around mixing magic with science. If you like my books, you will love Arcane. It's based on the game League of Legends, but you don't have to know anything about the game to understand what's happening. I didn't (and still don't), and it's by far my favorite piece of storytelling from 2021. If you're not sure, or think animation is weird/for kids or whatever, watch the first three episodes. Give it a chance. It is absolutely wonderful. The story, the world, the characters, the artwork, the performances, it is all straight A+ from end to end. I've watched the entire season twice already.
With that, I'm going to take a long-overdue break these next few weeks, then get The Raven and the Firebird fixed up and out to you all. You've been very patient, and I am very much looking forward to being able to share the continuing story of Victoria, Katya and Millie with you all.
I cannot thank you enough for all of your support and encouragement over the years. It always means a lot, and never more than this year. You're big part of the reason I do this, and I can't wait to introduce you to more characters, more stories (and more worlds!) in the coming months and years.
Much love to every one of you, stay safe and be excellent to each other.
December 9, 2021
Beta Updates
Sorry I haven't been posting regularly, I've been focused on getting The Raven and the Firebird ready for other eyeballs.
Which it is now in front of! I have officially sent the new book out for its first round ofjudgement feedback! Sending a book out to beta is probably the most harrowing part of the process for me. It has all of the 'what are people going to think of this?' that actually publishing it does PLUS the knowledge that I have to sit down and work on it again once I have the answer. Once it's published, it's published. Done. It's cathartic. Beta has at least 50% more dread involved.
But that's not why you're here. Updates!
Right now, The Raven and the Firebird is the shortest book in the series, but that doesn't make it any less intense or emotional. It's tighter and more plot-y than the last one, but with plenty of character moments and introspection that has become a hallmark of these books. As for a release date, I have one in mind, but I won't know for sure until I get all the beta feedback and have an idea how much work is actually left before it's ready for public consumption. Suffice it to say, early next year; i.e. SOON.
Oh, and the cover is done! I will reveal that over on the Twitters once I have a better handle on the release date. If you don't have a Twitter, that's fine, the cover looks like the other four, just with different details.
The only hint I can give to the story is that it starts slow, and then... hold on to your butts.
Thank you for your patience, it won't be long now.
Which it is now in front of! I have officially sent the new book out for its first round of
But that's not why you're here. Updates!
Right now, The Raven and the Firebird is the shortest book in the series, but that doesn't make it any less intense or emotional. It's tighter and more plot-y than the last one, but with plenty of character moments and introspection that has become a hallmark of these books. As for a release date, I have one in mind, but I won't know for sure until I get all the beta feedback and have an idea how much work is actually left before it's ready for public consumption. Suffice it to say, early next year; i.e. SOON.
Oh, and the cover is done! I will reveal that over on the Twitters once I have a better handle on the release date. If you don't have a Twitter, that's fine, the cover looks like the other four, just with different details.
The only hint I can give to the story is that it starts slow, and then... hold on to your butts.
Thank you for your patience, it won't be long now.
