Good evening, everyone!

If any out there are miffed at the lateness of this month’s post, I promise it’s for a good reason–the best of all, in fact, for any writer! As of this afternoon, my latest Alternate History short story, “The Ussuri Incident”, is available on Amazon Kindle! Like “One Giant Leap” (published last month), this story is set in the world of my previous AH novella Divided Worlds: An Alternate Space Race, and revolves around a different (but no less dangerous) standoff during the 1950s between China and the Soviet Union (ruled by Leon Trotsky in this timeline) as both powers edge towards rivalry above “socialist fraternity.” Amidst this jockeying, Soviet pilot Pyotr Ivanov (father of Dmitri Ivanov from Divided Worlds) is reassigned to a mission that could well tip the scales in favor of one nation or the other–or of one of the many factions contesting for power within them.

This release brings my work on short works set in the DWAASR timeline to an end for the year, but more ideas remain on the backburner. If all goes well, one or more will be ready to publish in 2026!

My other writing (the “John Lawrence” Civil War Hist. Fiction described in June’s post) has slowed of late, but by no means stopped. When I started the current project stretch back in May, I was just hoping to set down a sizable portion of the draft; having reached roughly the two-thirds mark, I’d say that goal’s been met, if not the finish line that, as of a couple weeks ago, I thought was within reach. Like I’ve said before, the beauty of self-imposed deadlines is how elastic they can be; the key is to avoid getting too mired in the depression that often hits when that’s needed. I’ll be finishing up the end scenes tonight, at least, which leaves just one sizeable gap to bridge when I return to this draft–and start the next in the series I have planned!

Will probably take a short break ahead of the Fourth (might sound strange to some, but holidays of any kind are prime time for writers!), then turn to the project on deck for all July: further work on the draft for A House United, the sequel to my AH novel Dixie Curtain. Reached between the one-third and halfway marks during the last round; should be able to get past the latter, this time. For anyone new to this series, Dixie Curtain and its prequel Dillinger in Charleston will be on sale starting 7/4; grab copies of both at the links below!

Must get back to the month’s final work, so I’ll sign off here. Stay cool, friends!