A giveaway!

Mark your calendars! The box set of the Inquisitors' Guild series will be free as an ebook from March 15-19th. If you haven't read those three books, you can grab them then, and if you want to share them with a friend, it's hard to beat free.

A financial deep dive

I write up a summary from time to time how the business end of things is going with my tiny publishing empire, and I've written up my 2025, if you're interested. Plenty of numbers here and whatever insights I'm able to give based on my experience. If you're an indie author, or if you're considering publishing a book, or if you're just interested how this all works, then please, have a look. I'm happy to answer any questions.

Writing update

I'm still working on my play, which is almost done as a first draft. I'm down to the final scene (or maybe the final big scene, with a little denoument after). As I got there, I was struck by the fact that, even more than in a novel, I have to make this scene the funniest, the most emotional, the most resonant, the best-integrated, the most satisfying scene of the whole thing, since it's what people will walk out remembering. I try to do that in my novels, too, but once people have invested five or six hours in a book getting to the end, then the climax can have some nuance, some complexity, and some freedom. In a play, it feels much more constrained. I've mapped it out, but writing it is complicated - it seems like there's a lot to do. I'm including an image of my notes for the final scene below, but don't squint and read this if you want to avoid spoilers!

In romantic comedy news, Sarah's now sent our romance novel to her agent, so we're waiting to hear what she thinks, which may tell us what path we need to follow to get Best, to you, which could be in the next couple of months, or could take longer if it goes through the traditional agent representation and publishing process. Time will tell, and we're eagerly awaiting feedback.

Once the play is done, I'll revise it, and then I'll share it with some friends I've lined up. After that, I'll implement feedback and try to set up a table read, which should be possible, and maybe even a performance if the response is good and a theater company is interested.

While people have a look at the play, I'll go back to either my sci-fi novel in progress (currently about half done) or my next Inquisitors' Guild novel (at about 20%) - we'll see which appeals to me then.

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, I have the Fantasy and Forensics series by Michael Angel, about an LAPD crime scene investigator transported to a fantasy world where there are still crimes to investigate. There are ten books in this set with over 3000 pages, and it's free on Kindle Unlimited if you're a subscriber.

Next, I have a group of fantasy books that are all free in Kindle Unlimited. There are 45 books here, only one with a naked man chest, and plenty of variety to choose from. Especially if you're a Kindle Unlimited subscriber, check out these great fantasy books.

Thanks

Thanks so much for signing up for my newsletter. Please let me know if you have any questions or suggestions for upcoming books! I love hearing from people. If you've read one of my books and wouldn't mind leaving a review anywhere (Amazon, Goodreads, Bookbub, LibraryThing) I'd really appreciate it! Each review helps me reach more readers. 

I hope you and your friends and family are having a safe and rewarding 2026!

May the Bloodmother watch over you - 

Dave