I just sent a short story off to the Baen’s fantasy contest. I’ll find out if I won anything by July 31.
I’m still waiting on cover art for a couple of things, but they’re ready to go once I’ve got it. “Bar Tabs” and Lizzy’s Tail are done, and edited.
I’m working on Fire and Forge for the rest of the summer. I may be able to write it quickly, maybe not. I’m hoping the darker turn it’s taken stops soon. I wanted this to be lighthearted and fun before their next adventure.
I’ve given the story I plan to submit to this contest a once over, and will be revising it again this week (it needs details like a bland dish needs salt). I’ve got to be careful, though, because I’ve got an 8,000 word limit. I should be done with it by the end of the weekend. If it doesn’t make the grade, I’ll likely revise it again, with an eye toward putting it up for sale as a Kindle stand-alone.
“Bar Tabs” is almost done. I’ll be giving it one more once-over when I finish my current project. Then, as soon as I get the cover art, I’ll be posting it up as a $0.99 Kindle story (and offering it for free frequently).
I have the children’s story, Lizzy’s Tail, totally finished, and halfway through the publication process. That is, again, stalled out by the cover art not being quite ready.
I’m working on Fire and Forge, but things are coming along…strangely. The story chapters are a bit darker than I intended them to be. I think real life is intruding on my imaginary world, and making it difficult to get things to come out like I want them to. Here’s hoping things work out better in other chapters.
Last but not least, Pendragon Resurgent is still selling…but slowly. I’ve sold a total of 21 copies over the month or so it’s been out. Ten last month, and eleven so far this month, with one taken out through the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library.
So, as of last weekend, I finished the stand-alone short stories I was working on. The longest one is around 6,200 words–well under the 8,000 word limit of the contest I’d like to enter. I’ve set it aside until this weekend, when I’ll go over it and revise it before entering it.
I have since begun writing on Fire and Forge. I’m about an eighth of the way through the first story/chapter. There will be something between 32 and 36 chapters, if things follow the outline. Things don’t always work that way, and sometimes, something I think will work turn out to not work as well as I thought.
Last, but not least, four more copies of Pendragon Resurgent (sequel to The Last Pendragon) have sold, bringing the total sold up to fourteen.
I’ll be spending more time than usual writing, because I’ve made the muscles in my back quite angry with me, and can’t do much else.
So. I have published my last project, the sequel to The Last Pendragon, titled Pendragon Resurgent (finally–it was a month late from when I intended to publish). It’s available for purchase from Amazon in either paperback or Kindle format (and if you have Amazon Prime and a Kindle tablet, you can borrow it–or any of my other books–from the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library, and read it for free). I’m honestly quite pleased with it.
As for upcoming projects…I’ll be publishing a children’s book as soon as I get the cover art for it, and a short story designed to support the Modern Gods world (The Godshead and Highway to Tartarus), hopefully within the next month or so.
I’ve finished a short story which may or may not be published here, depending on a few other circumstances–like whether the other short story I’m working on ends up too long to qualify for this contest. I feel the other story, which is still in the writing stages, is a much stronger story, but…there is a limit of 8,000 words.
After that’s done, I’ll be starting on Fire and Forge. I’ve got it all outlined and ready to write. And the Modern Gods stories do come quickly and easily when I have the time to sit down and write.
After that? I’ll start playing in the half a dozen different ideas that I have set up. The Legends series (The Last Pendragon and Pendragon Resurgent) is done, for now, so that frees up some of my writing time for other projects. We’ll see which one comes clear and most easily.
The Godshead Tavern 