Setting the Board, The Monad Trap

Got caught in the finishing crush for Setting the Board, the third book in Preparations for War, after Preparing The Ground and Building The People Climactic scene got a little draining, then I finished the working draft Saturday night, spent Sunday on the story checking and editing pass, and sent it off to the Betas. It's kind of scary how much I like it, so the betas will probably remind me of something obvious I missed. I had hoped to finish the necessary happenings in the story of Joe and Asina with Setting The Board, but it was not to be, so there will be a fourth book in the series. Look for Moving The Pieces after I've finished the next project - I may have to write it at the same time as Politics of Empire 3 (tentatively: The End of Parenthood)

Started The Monad Trap - sequel to The Fountains of Aescalon. I was going to write The Bubbles of Creation next, but I decided that story would be better told after this one. Here is the first line as I have it written now:

"Somehow, I always thought there was more for a god to do."