J-J-JULY??!!!

 


Obviously, we're a bit overdue on an update.

The problem is, so much has happened over the past few months that I'm not exactly sure where to start. I think maybe I won't try to fill in the blanks. It's enough to just explain what's happening now and what I'm planning (very loosely--I've given up all idea of preorders or predictions) for the foreseeable future.

The immediate news is Corpse at Captain's Seat (Book 8 in the Secrets and Scrabble series) is currently available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo and Smashwords. It should be out in print next week--although there's a holiday, so there could be a delay, yes. Matt Haynes and I have discussed the audio, but I can't remember the final timeline. It's coming, that I can tell you. Matt also just finished the audio for Sea Change, the first of the Jack POV novellas (that's a Patreon exclusive, however).

Also in the DONE column: Hearts & Hazards: Writing the Gay Cozy Mystery . If you're interested in writing an M/M or gay cozy mystery, you might find this helpful. It's in print, yes, and digital. You can find it on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Smashwords and Google.

As a side note, I decided my website needed an update, so I made the TERRIBLE decision to purchase a Nerdly website (formerly Author Cats). To make a long story short, my old website is disastrously out of date and the new website was a complete waste of money. 😯😦😧 So I honestly don't know what to do. The SO gave up. Now my nephews are going to try and sort it all out. And because my newsletter was connected to the old website... ANYWAY. So it's not you. It's me. I'm not sending newsletters until we get this catastrophe sorted out. 

But as catastrophes go, it's low on the list.

Okay, let me answer the questions that keep popping into my inbox.

1 - Yes. The final Kit Holmes book is still going to happen. The 12.2 Per-Cent Solution is now looking like a late Autumn release. I can't give you a firm date, but it is coming.

2 - Yes. Hex in the City is still going to happen. Since the book is set during the Winter holidays, I'd like it to come out before the end of the year. But it is a helluva year, and I can't make any promises, beyond the assurance that this book IS going to happen.

3 - Yes. The final Art of Murder book is still going to happen. HOW COULD I POSSBIBLY LEAVE SAM AND JASON THERE?!?! 😂🤣 The Medicine Man Murders will not come out before 2025. I do not know when. But I do know that book, also, is definitely going to happen. But it's not happening this year. That's for sure.

4 - No. Ghosted will not go wide for the foreseeable future. HOWEVER, it will eventually be available in audio, which means it's probably going to go into print. But that might be a very brief appearance; just long enough to get it listed on Amazon so I can get it up on ACX. I have to think that one through. The book should be finished by the end of July, but the audio is going to take a while because of the narrator's schedule.

5 - Probably not. I don't think Corpse at Captain's Seat is the last Secrets and Scrabble book. But I don't have the next books planned out. I haven't done more than think that we probably want to see Ellery and Jack get married? And there are a lot of comic possibilities for that Happy Halloween! You're Dead remake. But I've already got a list of promised titles to deliver before I start making new commitments. 

Also the entire Art of Murder series should make it into German translation. And the entire--well, the series up until now--Secrets and Scrabble series will go into Italian. 

I think that's all the most urgent stuff. I'll try to remember to check in more regularly, but it's harder than it ought to be. I'm just not online much right now. There's just too much going on in real life. I hope to high heaven that changes within the next few months, but I just don't know. I had one firm-as-concrete plan for this year and that was to go to Finland. AND THAT IS THE ONE THING THAT DID NOT HAPPEN. LOL So, clearly, I'm batting a thousand.











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Published on June 29, 2024 14:30
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message 1: by Donna (new)

Donna That’s pretty ambitious! Looking forward to all of it, but take care of your real life. :)


message 2: by Missjoanie (new)

Missjoanie Hey Josh, yes this is ambitious. As you know from experience life happens when you are making other plans. I will enjoy the new books when they come but in the meantime I continue to enjoy rereading and re-listening to your books. They are one of my comfort reads. Take care.


message 3: by Josh (last edited Jun 30, 2024 12:41PM) (new)

Josh Donna wrote: "That’s pretty ambitious! Looking forward to all of it, but take care of your real life. :)"

Well, really the only project that I'm absolutely confident of is Ghosted, because it's already half written, and I'm loving it so much. But it's reasonable that I should be able to do The 12.2% Per Cent Solution.

But as I've learned the hard way, "reasonable" doesn't always reconcile with what's coming down the line but still out of sight.


message 4: by Josh (new)

Josh Missjoanie wrote: "Hey Josh, yes this is ambitious. As you know from experience life happens when you are making other plans. I will enjoy the new books when they come but in the meantime I continue to enjoy rereadin..."

Yes! I think this way the books are a nice surprise when they eventually show up versus constantly disappointing people with delays.


message 5: by Galatea (last edited Jul 01, 2024 07:23PM) (new)

Galatea Oh, I came here looking for news on Kit & JX's story, and I'm glad I got them! Those guys deserve a beautiful ending... Also, it's good to look forward for an ending to Sam & Jason's story. Thank you so much! Take care, Josh! <3


message 6: by Alex (new)

Alex Very happy to hear that more books are coming at some point, but don’t get stressed about them. The Pirate Cove-series is one of my absolute favorite series and I was greedily thinking that it has the bones to go on for some 20 books (at least lol). The glimpses of possible romance are nice, but I read the books for the mysteries and the ambiance and above all Ellery. I love him as a character and just enjoy following him around.

Sure, he and Jack are good together but I wouldn’t care if they ever marry. Nowadays so many people are happily together but live apart even for 20-30 years or their whole lives. In general, I’ve never felt a need to read specific marriage books in fiction, unless the marriage part is just a tiny-tiny part of the books, like maybe 5% and 95% mystery/normal life. And I think Ellery could solve mysteries married or not? It’s not like his life would be completely over lol

Btw the page for “Corpse at Captain's Seat” is still saying “Please note that this edition has never been published.”

Anyway, wishing you a lovely summer and hope things calm down


message 7: by Josh (new)

Josh Alex wrote: "Very happy to hear that more books are coming at some point, but don’t get stressed about them. The Pirate Cove-series is one of my absolute favorite series and I was greedily thinking that it has ..."

Never been published? LOL Too many cooks in the Goodreads kitchen.


message 8: by Josh (new)

Josh Alex wrote: "Very happy to hear that more books are coming at some point, but don’t get stressed about them. The Pirate Cove-series is one of my absolute favorite series and I was greedily thinking that it has ..."

I sort of agree and disagree about seeing Jack and Ellery get married.

I definitely agree that the relationship stuff has to take a backseat to the mystery. Always.

In fact, I used to make a point of my characters NOT getting married because I personally felt marriage was not necessary, unless you were going to have kids -- and all the legal complications that might cause. (Granted, I did eventually break down and get married myself, although I continue to insist to the SO that this was only for tax purposes. 😄)

But ever since the extremist-conservative social agenda veered into virulent, hateful waters --and marriage equality for same sex couples became endangered--I've decided that it's important to show why losing this is no small thing.

And as we all know, fiction is one of the very best vehicles for driving social change.


message 9: by Josh (new)

Josh Galatea wrote: "Oh, I came here looking for news on Kit & JX's story, and I'm glad I got them! Those guys deserve a beautiful ending... Also, it's good to look forward for an ending to Sam & Jason's story. Thank y..."

These books will absolutely be written (I mean, barring my being hit with an actual asteroid). That, I can promise.

I just can't commit to when.

I know giving Kit and JX wil be a sweet and fun book to write.

Whereas ending Sam and Jason is going to be painful as hell. It's going to be nearly as bad as saying goodbye to Jake and Adrien.


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