Where In The Abyss Is Book IV?
(Reposted from Facebook)
Good question! I've been promising it for a small "human sized" eternity and it hasn't shown up.
Fear not, it is coming, and it will be done faster than Book 1 was written. (That started in the mid-80's and was finally released in 2014)
What's happened?
1) I am writing 3 books that all take place at roughly the same time. DOA Vol. 4, Oak Orks of the Antilles: Into The Night, Chronicles of Astlan: Into The Wilds. This makes things rather complicated as they crisscross a bit, but it's also a lot more writing. Probably not the best idea but...that's what I did.
2) OOA will be out the soonest, and it is the story of Trig Bioblast and the search for the Doom of the Antilles. It would be more like the other quests as a story line, but it's SF and in space, so didn't fit well with DOA and would have been mind boggling POV changes.
3) For book 1? I spent a ridiculous amount of time to write it, first chapters were in the mid 80's most of the book was written in 93, 94. Then I couldn't figure out how to get people out of the city to fight Talarius, and I got my PH.D. and joined the real world workplace and it just lingered until 2013 when I decided it had to be published, so I had Tom & Damien bring the demonic horde "issue" to Lenamare's attention and have them ask him to get rid of them. He knew exactly what to do, whereas I hadn't been able to figure it out.
Even so, I took several months off from my job (I am an IT consultant and work on a contract basis) t get it finished.
4) For each of the next two books I took about 9 months off to write in depth. This created a lot of debt that I am still trying to dig out of.
5) For the current set of books, I really couldn't go into more debt, so I have tried to work and write at the same time and it's almost been too much and taken too long, but it is moving a long.
6) About 20 months ago, my dad began having multiple, different health problems and that was a lot of stress for us all and I couldn't get much writing down. His cancer is now in remission, but he is not yet back to normal. But I got back to my normal job and life.
8) I had hoped to have OOA out last year and then Book IV this year....
7) However, as I mentioned, I'm a contractor and when it rains it pours and when it doesn't, it's a desert. My job has been a monsoon, particularly for the last 4 months where I've been doing 60 to 80 hour weeks. Not much writing time, and I really can't say no, because I need the money to pay off my debt.
8) My hope was that I'd get back on schedule this month, but things are staying very busy. I hope to start writing in late Feb. I hope to have OOA out this summer.
9) Book IV will be out next year if all goes well. Then will come COA
10) After that? OOA and COA are shorter works than DOA. I expect there to be roughly 2 or 3 of each of those...maybe more, we'll see.
11) As for DOA? I know where that's going and it's going to be at least 7 books of roughly the same length as the first 3.
12) When, however, is still the question.
13) Both Book 4, OOA 1, and COA 1 are under contract for audio books.
So, I am very sorry for the long delays, I can only thank you for patience and loyalty, and I will try to be better at keeping you posted.
JLL.
Good question! I've been promising it for a small "human sized" eternity and it hasn't shown up.
Fear not, it is coming, and it will be done faster than Book 1 was written. (That started in the mid-80's and was finally released in 2014)
What's happened?
1) I am writing 3 books that all take place at roughly the same time. DOA Vol. 4, Oak Orks of the Antilles: Into The Night, Chronicles of Astlan: Into The Wilds. This makes things rather complicated as they crisscross a bit, but it's also a lot more writing. Probably not the best idea but...that's what I did.
2) OOA will be out the soonest, and it is the story of Trig Bioblast and the search for the Doom of the Antilles. It would be more like the other quests as a story line, but it's SF and in space, so didn't fit well with DOA and would have been mind boggling POV changes.
3) For book 1? I spent a ridiculous amount of time to write it, first chapters were in the mid 80's most of the book was written in 93, 94. Then I couldn't figure out how to get people out of the city to fight Talarius, and I got my PH.D. and joined the real world workplace and it just lingered until 2013 when I decided it had to be published, so I had Tom & Damien bring the demonic horde "issue" to Lenamare's attention and have them ask him to get rid of them. He knew exactly what to do, whereas I hadn't been able to figure it out.
Even so, I took several months off from my job (I am an IT consultant and work on a contract basis) t get it finished.
4) For each of the next two books I took about 9 months off to write in depth. This created a lot of debt that I am still trying to dig out of.
5) For the current set of books, I really couldn't go into more debt, so I have tried to work and write at the same time and it's almost been too much and taken too long, but it is moving a long.
6) About 20 months ago, my dad began having multiple, different health problems and that was a lot of stress for us all and I couldn't get much writing down. His cancer is now in remission, but he is not yet back to normal. But I got back to my normal job and life.
8) I had hoped to have OOA out last year and then Book IV this year....
7) However, as I mentioned, I'm a contractor and when it rains it pours and when it doesn't, it's a desert. My job has been a monsoon, particularly for the last 4 months where I've been doing 60 to 80 hour weeks. Not much writing time, and I really can't say no, because I need the money to pay off my debt.
8) My hope was that I'd get back on schedule this month, but things are staying very busy. I hope to start writing in late Feb. I hope to have OOA out this summer.
9) Book IV will be out next year if all goes well. Then will come COA
10) After that? OOA and COA are shorter works than DOA. I expect there to be roughly 2 or 3 of each of those...maybe more, we'll see.
11) As for DOA? I know where that's going and it's going to be at least 7 books of roughly the same length as the first 3.
12) When, however, is still the question.
13) Both Book 4, OOA 1, and COA 1 are under contract for audio books.
So, I am very sorry for the long delays, I can only thank you for patience and loyalty, and I will try to be better at keeping you posted.
JLL.
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Sam
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Feb 07, 2020 06:01AM
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thank you for the update, good luck with work, and glad to hear your father is doing better.
Osamagbe wrote: "OK"Thanks, he is doing better, but still has lots of ups and downs. But definitely better.
Thanks for info. I´m grinding my teeth while waiting.Meanwhile I´d like to know, where in the Abyss (Germany/Europe) I could buy the first 3 volumes of Oak Orks of the Antilles???
Christine wrote: "Thanks for info. I´m grinding my teeth while waiting.Meanwhile I´d like to know, where in the Abyss (Germany/Europe) I could buy the first 3 volumes of Oak Orks of the Antilles???"
OOA vol 1 is coming next, I had hoped to finish it up near year end, but got totally derailed by my day job in the last 3 months and am till getting back on the rails. Just started back into it yesterday, hoping to get back up to speed and have something out this summer.
I know how you feel about contractor work. I do 70 hours one week then the next 20. Good luck! It sure can be hell on the body! Especially with that chain puffing demon hanging around you. Well wishes to you and I'll be thinking of you. Currently on like my 7th re-read through the series.
Fadswaffer wrote: "I know how you feel about contractor work. I do 70 hours one week then the next 20. Good luck! It sure can be hell on the body! Especially with that chain puffing demon hanging around you. Well w..."
Thanks! Yeah, he is incredibly distracting!
I hope you are doing fine in the age of 2020.It had been so long since #3 I was afraid you were taking the Martin & Rothfuss "Writing Procrastination" classes. lol
Osamagbe wrote: "Is Book 4 out yet?"Not yet. Oak Orks of the Antilles: Into the Night, which is a side series about Trig Bioblast's quest for the Doom of the Antilles, which has Tom and the D'Orks in it, will be out this year.
