FINISHED! SORT OF!

The first draft of Action Figures – Issue Eleven: Zero Day is done. I laid down the last chapter on Sunday, and the current draft clocks in at a massive 131,782 words, which is a good 50,000 words or so beyond my typical novel length.

I’ve been asked several times why I’m finishing off the series in a single book instead of two smaller books, and I did consider it, but ultimately I decided it was more fan-friendly to give readers the finale in a single volume. You’ll pay less for one chunky book than you would for two smaller books, especially if you prefer print (I did the math); you won’t be stuck with a cliffhanger ending and then have to wait for the conclusion to drop; and from a storytelling perspective, there’s no ideal midway breakpoint. One book would end up being rather skinny and the other still pretty chonky.

Besides, this is a three-act novel with three clear breakpoints. If tackling a 150K+ word book in a single stretch is too much, you have two good places to put it down for a while, read something else, and then come back.

Now, the other big question: when is this bad boy dropping? Good question, one for which I don’t have a precise answer. I have several rounds of revision to tackle, and then beta-reading, and then more revisions, and then final edits, and then formatting. So, a lot of work lies ahead. My goal (hope) is to have it ready by late summer/early fall, but we’ll have to see how realistic that is.

I do promise you, it will be worth the wait.

WRITING PROJECTS

Action Figures – Issue Two: Black Magic Women: Work on the audiobook edition has begun, with Bethany Boles returning as narrator.

Action Figures – Issue Eleven: Draft one is almost done. Scheduled for a mid-to-late 2022 release.

The Adventures of Strongarm & Lightfoot – Elfish Motives: Work has begun on the audiobook edition. Tentatively set for a 2022 release.

APPEARANCES & EVENTS

• None scheduled.

MISC.

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