2013, in a nutshell.
What a year.
I'm sitting here on my couch, Breaking Bad playing in the background, laptop in my lap, and I'm about to get down to work on editing book five of AUD, Wrath. Wrath is getting some substantial additions to it, and I'm excited to finish writing them. Hopefully you're as excited to read them when the book drops.
I didn't come here to talk about Wrath though, I came here to talk about the year in total.
Personally, it's been a great year. My day job is frustrating because I have a frustrating job. I work in a high stress, potentially physically dangerous environment, and though I feel I am good at my job, there are days when the grind gets to me. I'm blessed with some amazing people on my team though, and between them and knowing that I am making a huge difference in people's lives, I'm kept happy.
Yay for that.
As a writer, 2013 could be described as 'the day I hit the scene.' Sounds funny to say that in the wake of AUD's launch in 2010. We're three years past it coming out to the public, and despite the huge following the website has had, with no actual completed novels for purchase, I haven't been an 'author' in the traditional sense.
All that changed with the launch of The Wrath of the Orphans, and quickly after that, the first three books of Adrian's Undead Diary: Dark Recollections, Alone No More, and Midnight. I now have four novels available for purchase, both in Kindle and print form.
You have no idea how strange a concept that is for me.
I'm proud, don't get me wrong. The work I've put into AUD and all of my other work is substantial, and to release it to the greater world through traditional channels and then get some true official credibility for it has been a life changing thing for me.
It's also been a trip to get all the reviews from you readers. Clearly you feel overwhelmingly positive about Adrian's story, and Wrath. Within the first two months book one racked up over a hundred five star reviews, and as of this writing, it's the sixth highest rated horror and fourth highest rated science fiction book on all of Amazon.
Pretty incredible, and I owe you all a huge debt of gratitude for that.
My hope is that sometime mid-year with the release of books four and five of AUD, plus the release of book two of Elmoryn: The Motive for Massacre, I'll be able to either cut back to part time at my day job, or do the big thing, and call it quits and start writing full time.
I should also announce that the first book of A Dragon Among Us will be published next year as well, though the time frame for that hasn't been established yet. Summer at the latest it would seem. If these plans go, well, according to plan, that'll give me eight books in circulation in the next six months, and between all of them, I hope to earn enough royalties to be a full time author.
I'm optimistic.
So that's the story of what I've already written going into 2014. If you've stuck around to this point, then you'll be excited to hear what I've got planned for new stuff for 2014.
Obviously, the remaining books of the Adrian's Undead Diary series will be published. The Failed Coward, Wrath, In the Arms of Family, The Trinity, and Cassie should all be released by September. I'll be adding to each of these books, most notably starting with book five. Several thousand words will be added to round out elements of Adrian's tale, and making them flow better. I'll also be beefing up the writing more notably as it gets closer to the end of the series. I was dealing with a divorce and the death of my mother when I wrote it all, and even though I'm happy with it, I can make it better.
I plan to.
I'll also be continuing the story of Adrian Ring beyond book eight. The details are still coming together, but I think I've got at least three more novels I can write with Adrian, possibly more, and as I edit and write more in the existing AUD stuff, the itch to revisit it grows more powerful. So dance for joy, sometime in 2014 there will be new Adrian stuff to read.
I'll be finishing the third book of Elmoryn as well. I don't have a title for it yet, but that'll be a huge deal for me, as Elmoryn actually predates AUD. Seeing the trilogy through to the end will be very special for me. If you haven't read Wrath yet, please give it a chance. I'm very proud of it.
I'll also be starting on a second book set in Tesser's world. I've got a LUDICROUS amount of ideas for stories in that universe, and I can easily say I think I could write a Tesser novel every year for the next ten years.
Beyond that…
I've got an idea for another novel, a standalone that would be unconnected to anything I've written already, and even though I've got a full slate, I'll be developing that in the background. No details yet, but I think it'll be fun.
So yeah. There it is. The year of 2014 for Chris Philbrook, as seen by me, at the end of 2013.
We'll see how it goes. As Adrian has said, 'no plan survives first contact.'
At least I know I won't have to do it all alone. Thanks to you all for everything up 'til now, and thank you in advance for all that you'll continue to do. You mean the world to me.

-Chris Philbrook
December 30th 2013
Hillsboro NH