An Update on All Things ARM X in 2019

Hey, readers!

That image you see there is a sneak peek at the ongoing work on ARM X Book 3’s cover via StudioXeroG.com.

And now I’ll get right to the heart of things. A conflicting series of new responsibilities, challenges, and opportunities in 2018 and early 2019 has caused a shift in the release schedule for future ARM X novels, but the work does go on—constantly, through every setback—and I promise the end results will be worth the wait. The world and characters have grown exponentially and each book has an exciting identity of its own to discover while building up the continuing narrative.

A completed draft of Book 5 is within sight; it’s somewhere in the realm of 85-90% written. 2018 provided me with new knowledge and a clearer perspective toward my vision for this work, as well as growth in the skills necessary to make it the best version of itself. As such, one last editing pass is going to be done on Books 3 and 4. But as a part of that comprehensive effort, work is already well under way to clarify, correct, and/or refine certain aspects and unintended quirks of Books 1 and 2. In fact, the fruits of these efforts are already starting to appear, as Book 1's edits went live at the end of June, and upcoming milestones will be shared via ARMXOfficial.com and its social media outlets.

While the overall stories of ARM X Book 1 and Book 2 will not be changed in a drastic manner in these updates, certain key elements have been cleaned up or expounded on to make for a smoother and even more rewarding reading experience. When this process is complete, both Books 1 and 2 will better stylistically and conceptually match what is to come in Books 3, 4, and 5. Whether it’s the products of Apple to Nintendo or the works of J.R.R. Tolkien to Chōhei Kambayashi, these kinds of iterative upgrades are part of the process with longitudinal projects, but it’s all for the best. My personal mantra as a writer is “Reality through Creativity,” and so even in the exaggeration of fiction, I want to present a semblance of groundedness; that is part of the driving force behind some of the alterations being made. The goal from day one has been to create a narrative that will wow you and leave a thought-provoking imprint, and that goal has not and will not change.

The work being done, in totality, covers over a million words. Again, I think you’ll love the end results, which should create an even more dynamic, seamless, and immersive reading experience—especially with how much the world of ARM X expands following Book 2. But as you can imagine, this work will take time. I appreciate your patience and understanding, and I thank you for your continued interest and support in this endeavor.

As an extra bit of good news, recent production-cost developments will mean the MSRP for the paperback editions will go down, which is already reflected in Book 1’s MSRP and will show for Book 2 once its edits are completed and go live.

A streamlining and upgrade to ARMXOfficial.com is in the discussion phase, as are ideas to bolster and expand the series’ social media platforms, but the novels take precedence right now.

As a reminder, each Monday is @ARMXSeries "Quote Day" on Twitter. As always, you can see past quotes archived under LIKES. Have a quote from Book 1 and Book 2 you want to be featured? Let me know through email, or a tweet, or via Facebook. Something else you want to comment on that struck you from the books, or do you have a business inquiry? Feel free to reach out.

In appreciation of my readers, below is a collage of some of the behind-the-scenes visual work, some of it never before seen, that has gone into the conceptualization of the Universal War: ARM X novel series.



As an additional bonus, here is a behind-the-scenes look at a portfolio of mine in the works that will showcase ongoing original conceptual design projects, video game and otherwise, across various genres, that the ARM X novels originally emerged from. Someday they may become novels themselves.



A few final notes: I was commissioned to do editing and formatting work on the definitive 2019 edition of the novel The Journeymentors: Love Buffers Fear On the whole, it’s a very different kind of work than ARM X, but much like ARM X, it has a strong, intriguing, and innovative human narrative with otherworldly elements. It’s particularly recommended to fans of Nicholas Sparks or the Hallmark Channel. Likewise, a little farther afield, I did formatting work on the non-fiction Fixing Education Now! Pre-K to Post-Grad for the 21st Century

(Please note: At this time, Amazon is dealing with a glitch on their end that caused the customized font formatting for The Journeymentors to be stripped off the ebook edition. That’s part of why this post was delayed, as the problem has persisted longer than expected. I will update this post when this issue is resolved. Also note: Goodreads has the wrong paperback edition listed compared to the link above. The correct version will have a 2019 publication date for paperback and ebook.)

I have also written articles and contributed podcasts about video games, anime, movies, and more to the Anime & Gaming Outpost (AGO+). Check it out if you want to get my in-depth perspective on various multimedia releases.

Please stay tuned and look forward to some amazing reading experiences! Have a great day!

-PWS