Status Updates:

Color me "Cautiously Optimistic" after too many weeks of thinking "any day now."

What's Next:

The Wizard's Cat​
I'm pretty sure this Cat may be feral. Every time I put out food and water, offer it shelter, it sneaks in during the night, eats the food, spills the water, and hacks up a hairball on the doorstep. So, basically, acts like a cat. Lately, I've found dead mice on the front porch, lined up as gifts. I think I'm winning. Maybe.

Future Ishmael​
Several people have asked about Ishmael's future. I'm not done with him yet. At least I'm not done with that universe. There's still a universe of story out there in the Deep Dark.

Tanyth Fairport​
I really want to get back to her and the people in that world. When I'll find the time is anybody's guess. The audiobooks are still in limbo. Sorry.

What I'm Reading:

Over the last few weeks I've picked off some "next in a series" titles. The next Delphic Dame novel from Jenny Schwartz. The next Firebird Chronicles from T. A. White. I've recommended these books before and you'll definitely want to start on book 1. In spite of reading a bunch of litRPG and fantasy, I found some space opera for this month's recommendation.

By space opera, I mean tough as hull plate bounty hunter with a heart of gold haunting the spaceways and having thrilling adventures of derring-do. Hunting down assassins, saving the day, and generally spreading pulpy goodness with a laser pistol.

Kole Anwynn and his ship, the Rim Jumper, along with the assorted and a sordid cast of characters pull the stories along at a breakneck pace before winning the day in the end, as one does.

I found it to be great fun and I've been enjoying the heck out of this virtual box set of books 1-3 of the series. I'm almost through the last book after only a few days because I keep putting my keyboard down and picking up my reader to find out what happens next.

As always, maybe grab a sample and see for yourself.

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Looking Ahead:

One of the hardest things for me to do right now is the one thing I need to do.
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Trust my process.

I've never been a "write every day" kind of guy except for the time I burned out by writing 3 novels into a single file by laying down 2000 words a day every day for weeks on end while trying to recover from cancer and the treatments.

I've always been a binge writer, needing to let the story ferment until I have enough to work with. A thread I can pull on to let the tale unravel. When it's ready, it's like diving into a pool. Once I've made the leap, there's no stopping.

It was how I wrote almost all the Ishmael books, most of Tanyth's stories, and even the Wizard's Butler had a kind of "whee!" feeling to it as I cannon-balled into the pool.

Right now, every day I walk out to the end of the board and look down at the water. So far, I've just shrugged and stepped back, but that sense of "soon" keeps growing. New ideas - like really new ones that finally feel like they're the right ones instead of just good enough ones - have been building up. Finally.

I'm pretty sure I'll get there.

I just have to trust the process.

Until next month, safe voyage.

-NL

PS. I'll try to be a bit more responsive to your replies. I've been pretty lax for the last few months. Sorry about that.

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Remember ​
I update the blog every month on the first so if you're wondering what's happening, you can check there to get an interim report until the next one shows up in your inbox.

Beta Readers:

Every so often, I put out a call for beta readers. These are people who are willing to read the work in progress in a short period of time with only the briefest of notices.

I'm going to be fine tuning this process going forward but if you'd like to be considered for future works, then click this link.
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​It puts a tag on your address in the email list. You don't have to check anything. The ConvertKit people (who store the addresses) will handle it and then take you to a page to tell you that your preferences have been set. By clicking that link you're done.

And thanks.

Fine Tuning:

Would you prefer to get ONLY new release notices? YES, PLEASE​

Note: Newsletter people will get New Release notices, too, but
I've had several people say they preferred to only hear from me when I
release a new book so I'm trying to accommodate them.
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