The new book!

I'm done with the first draft of the new novel! I'm excited to share it with you. Spoiler-free image of the last page below.

I've been hard at work reading, revising, and editing for the past week since I got back from a family trip. I'm on page 82 of 266 now (in my Word document - the book will likely be around 380 pages in paperback). I am hoping to have the edited first draft in the hands of Reader Number One (my wife) by mid week, although I am getting ever more busy with the play I'm in (opening night is March 28!).

So far, I'm enjoying the book as I go through. I wrote it very steadily over a long period (November 1 to March 5, writing every day without missing any), which means the pieces I'm looking at now I haven't really seen in detail since December. There are a few things I need to change as I go to line up these early parts with how the book eventually finished up, but I'm just about at a part I wrote "FIX THIS LATER" in after changing a plot point about halfway through. It shouldn't be too hard to fix, though - just funny that I assigned myself homework.

I also need a title, so if anybody can think of a good library-adjacent title for a murder mystery, I'm all ears. I've never crowdsourced a title before, but I'm open to it if people have a good one.

Other projects

I'm also writing a fantasy short story to submit for possible inclusion in an Indie Fantasy Addicts anthology. I got into last years' anthology (From the Arcane, with my story Talon's Shadow). Submissions for these anthologies are judged with the authors kept anonymous, so there's no favoritism or fan effect - just the best stories they get.

After that, I want to finish my latest sci fi novel, one I started last summer but paused when I got swept up in other things. I have about 30,000 words done on it, so it's a good start. Once the play is done, I'll be able to get going on that again.

I've also been talking with a good friend and fellow author about doing a joint book. We both taught at Guilford College for many years and were on quite a few committees together, and now we're writing in our post-academic careers, so we thought it would be fun to do a joint book set on an academic campus, maybe with alternating chapters written from the perspective of two main characters. She writes mostly romance, so that would be a fun area to explore for me.

I'm also toying with doing another Inquisitors' Guild novel. It's been a while since I wrote one, so it seems like it's about time. I got a boost for that by a review posted recently by somebody who just discovered the series:

I'd have to reread the books and make sure I haven't forgotten any Frosthelm lore, fun characters, or Guild procedures. Maybe someday fans will put together an Inquisitors' Guild wiki or something, but for now, it's all on me.

Some stories to try

I'm part of several author collectives, and we share each other's work to try to help all of us reach more readers. In many cases, the books we share are are free or discounted. Sometimes, they ask that you sign up for a newsletter like this one. Here are some new books I have to share this month:

First up, I have Sellenria by Chuck Boeheim with Daniel Elswit. This looks like a sci-fi/fantasy blend with a strong portal fantasy component. Highly rated (4.6 on Amazon, 4.8 on Goodreads), this is available for only $1.99.

Next up, I have Modus by Brandon Castillo. Brandon is offering this for free as a review copy through StoryOrigin, so if you're willing to commit to reading and reviewing, you can get a free near-future dystopia story with wrinkly medical morals.

Next, I have Guardians of the Cosmic Rift by Orion Blake (killer author name, b.t.w.). This is the second book in Blake's Midnight Society book, and it tells the story of an alien race threatening Earth somewhere under Montana, and a heroic group of humans trying to save all of us. It's only $0.99, so if it sounds like your kind of thing, give it a try!

Next I have an audiobook for you to explore: Hearts of Investigation by Daisy Grace. This is a romantic suspense novel where a guy who shaves irregularly and endures occasional linear facial lacerations solves crimes with fellow detective Mia. If piercing blue eyes are your thing, give it a look!

Finally, I have Net Zero in the Wild Wild West by Jay Toney. This is the fourth book in Toney's Net Zero series, where governments and shadowy think tanks try to move all human conflict into online video-game settings. Despite the Chinatown cover here, this one is about a wild-west game and two women sucked into testing it.

Thank you!

Thanks so much for being part of my newsletter community! I am very excited to share the new book with you soon, and I've got some other cool projects in the works for later this year. Happy reading!

May the Bloodmother watch over you - 

Dave