Botanical Garden, Indie Books, and the Interior
Aug 25, 2025 1:18 am
Last time I promised a little more about the Botanical Garden, and I finally got around to pulling the photos together.
I missed the peak colors back in May and early June, but even in mid-July it didn’t disappoint. Quiet paths wound between shaded corners, with people picnicking or reading under the trees, and some flowers were still in bloom despite the heat.
It was exactly the place I needed to pause and breathe, giving me a reset button before heading back into teaching this fall.
Writing Updates
A few things are moving at once:
- I wrapped up reflowing Merlin’s Crucible today, so the character lines are easier to read.
- Dawning of Darkness also got an official reflow and is being uploaded to stores now through PublishDrive, Amazon, and Draft2Digital.
- I’ve been rethinking the scope of The Dream Herald. After going back through my notes, I realized there’s an entire section I hadn’t accounted for, so instead of 50–70k it’s looking closer to 70–80k. I just hit Chapter 10, and the story’s momentum is picking up fast.
- The amazing Nick Russ is hard at work on the narration for Afterworld's audiobook, so we're also making progress there!
Indie Author Corner
In this newsletter, we're back with some indie highlights, so I’m also including a few swaps with other indie authors. If you’re looking for new reads (and deals), check them out by clicking the banners below.
It’s always great to see what other writers are putting out there, and if you grab something you enjoy, let me know—I’m always curious what sticks with readers.
That’s about it for now. I’ll keep the next one focused a little more on story updates. For this round, I figured the garden and some new books were the best mix.
Until next time,
James G. Robertson
P.S. Supporting indie authors can be as simple as asking your library to carry their books. Mine are also included with a subscription on Kobo Plus and Everand if you’d like to check them out there!
