Hi all. I know I dropped off updates here for a bit and I apologize. I had a series of family emergencies all back to back and simply wasn’t in a place to keep updating. I have, however, been working on my writing despite that and am happy to announce the launch of my Kickstarter for a special edition of my debut novel, Wake of the Phoenix! I had mentioned last year that I intended to rebuild my audience for the books before releasing book two in the series, and this is the beginning of that process.

What does the Kickstarter Edition include?

This Kickstarter is a special, hardcover edition of my book. The hardcover will have a foil embossing on the dust jacket, sprayed edges on the pages, and interior illustrations commissioned from the proceeds of the fundraising. I plan to commission these illustrations from the same artist who made a cover for the short story collection I planned to release, which was delayed and has now been supplanted by a focus on book 2 of the Artifice of Power saga. his work is truly impressive.

As well as the improved design of the book, the Kickstarter edition will be a pre-release of the extended edition of the book, which will contain three new chapters from the point of view of side characters in book one who became far more important in book two. These additions won’t be required to get the full effect of the book and will be marked so they can be skipped if desired, but should add more context to some of the future events in book two. The extended edition–without the illustrations–will be released late this year in preparation for book two’s release early next year.

Please share this Kickstarter link with anyone you think might be interested in following the progress of this project or pledging for a fancy edition of my debut novel. Wake of the Phoenix Kickstarter

Is book two actually coming?

Yes! Actually, I’ve completed the bulk of the writing on the second book in the series, I’ve finished the review of what changes need to be made from a developmental perspective, and I’m actively working on those now. I expect the second book to be ready for beta readers sometime in September or October of this year, and to go to my copy editor in November or December in preparation for a March release. I’ll be sure to give regular updates of that status as things progress. Right now I’m focusing on polishing the resolution of book two and working backward to ensure everything feels natural and any shocking twists shock in the way they are intended to, not because I failed at my character development. Later this year, I’ll be revealing the title of book two and speaking to cover artists about that imagery.

Am I going to start posting regularly again?

Honestly, I don’t know at this moment what the status of this blog will be. I want to be accessible to my readers, as I know the worst thing as a reader is to never know what is happening with the next book in the series. However, I also want to make sure that the updates I do send are meaningful and don’t just clog up the inboxes of my readers. That’s frustrating. Please feel free to drop me a comment about what you would like to see from me if you’re interested in updates, and I’ll be looking into what real value I can provide to readers.