Not dead yet newsletter #3: {{contact.email}}
May 01, 2026 11:01 am
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Hello ,
I'm not dead yet. Unlike the unfortunate characters in my stories, I'm alive and writing. As you may know, I write fantasy in the grimdark genre.
I've been diligently working on "Coin of Survival," the sequel to "Everyone Dies". I managed to write twelve chapters, totaling over twenty thousand words. Then I realized I had made a mistake that forced me to throw out eleven of the twelve chapters.
You see, "Everyone Dies" and its sequel, "Coin of Survival, " take place in a grimdark fantasy world of lethal consequences. Characters, even those I really like, die like fruit flies. The story and the tension focus on characters' struggle to survive.
So the problem with eleven chapters of the sequel is that I put the protagonists in a safe place. If there weren't a combination of stupidity and incompetence by the protagonists, everyone would live. While safety is nice for us readers and the ones we love, safety doesn't make for a good grimdark story. And I didn't want to write about idiots who throw away their own lives in idiotic fashion. Especially in a book where I'm portraying generally competent people taking sometimes morally questionable actions to avoid dying.
On the one hand, this means I'm a bit behind in my writing schedule. On the other hand, it will mean the finished effort will be a darker, grimmer story. A grimdark story.
May 20th: "Everyone Dies"
Seven companions walk a path no one survives
On May 20th, my short novel "Everyone Dies" will be published on Amazon. I really liked some of the characters, it pained me to kill them. Nevertheless, to meet the obligation of the title, everyone has to die. If you want to read it early, you can request a free advance review copy.
A grimdark fantasy where all the characters die.
Violence. Betrayal. Consequences.
Releasing May 20, 2026 on Amazon
June 20th: "Coin of Survival"
How many must die for one person to stay alive?
The sequel to "Everyone Dies" is due to be released on Amazon in late June.
Other books you might like
Grimdark and dark fantasy stories that inspire the darkness in my own writing.
Five days, Two gatherers with nothing to lose. A perfect plan that won't stop falling apart. My opinion: I really liked this book. Read my review!
Fourteen-year-old Kael knows the rules: stay in line, stay silent, and survive.
Survival in the Grove is a grounded grimdark novella about power, pressure, and the quiet horror of becoming who the world demands. Perfect for fans of slow-burn tension, harsh coming-of-age arcs, and morally gray survival stories. My opinion: An interesting short read by an author with lots of potential. Read my review!
GENTLEMAN. LADYKILLER. ASSASSIN. SPY.
"The Circle" is a fast-paced fantasy adventure for fans of action, magic, and a hero who is both assassin and charmer. If you like epic fantasy and James Bond, then you’ll love "The Circle."
Stubbs is sharp, wary, and built to survive. Godfried is half-drunk, badly behaved, and far more dangerous than anyone realizes. Together, they are about to discover that prison in Fainsworth is not merely a cage. It is an audition.
Jo, a young boy left to fend for himself, struggles to survive.
Forced to beg and steal in the city streets, he hopes for better days.
But he fears for worse.
Before Michael. Before the Broken. There was a war.
Prequel to "Zahanara: A Cursed Realm"
What if the fate of two worlds depended on a demon sworn never to intervene again? Ancient powers stir, and old wounds threaten to tear the peace of the universe apart. Everything hinges on Ryuji, and the wrong choice on his part could plunge both realms back into war.
Indie book collections
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