Today was day one of a much needed vacation. Here's to the first of several days laying on the beach with a book in one hand and a beer in the other. It was also the first chance I've had to catch my breath long enough to give a writing update.
I'm going to be upfront and honest, issue four of By the Fire is going to be late. I try to get each issue out on or around the fifteenth of the month. I'm too far behind for that at this point. School is out and I have transitioned fully to my summer job. However said job is a sales job and that doesn't leave much time during the workday to write. However, I do have things planned out fairly well.
I have chapter four of Freedom Sun planned out. We've finally made it back to Earth and we're going to get a glimpse at what went in here while our heroes were absent. Chapter four of Walk With Me is kinda sketched out. I at least know several key points I want to touch on. I hope that a few of you have already started to notice little connections with other works. I also hope that you have been enjoying these stories so far. In the future I hope to put the serialized chapters together and publish them as standalone novels.
You might have noticed that my format had been a new chapter of the two serials coupled with two short stories. Some connected some not. Last issue I did a follow up to Storm Over San Juan. I really enjoy Michael's character and I have more adventures ready for him. This month I've decided to include the flow up to Carrier. It's tentatively entitled One Man War. I've got the the story plotted out and about a thousand words toward the rough draft. We're going to see what he's been up to since that last disastrous run in and try to answer a few questions reviewers have asked about the world he lives in.
But what about story number two Stew? Well imaginary reader I'm glad you asked. I have had a series in the back of my mind for a year or two now called Requiem for the Fallen. It's another Sci Fi series more along the space opera genre lines. I've been thinking of it more as a TV series in how I approach it with individual episodes in a season. We'll see how that goes. The main gist is a sailor serving in the navy of the Consortium of Planets who is dishonorably discharged at the end of a massive war. We'll get to explore where he and his crew/family go next in life. I know that's something that we've all seen before but I'm going to try to take a new tact with it. At least as much as possible. The Consortium could be viewed similarly to the Federation from Star Trek in it's shiny happy outlook. I want to see how the average Joe gets by in such a world. Especially with a dishonorable discharge rap. I'd like each episode to be a little longer than the typical short story. Each episode won't necessarily show up in By the Fire but we'll see.
Beyond that I'm working on Blackthorn Knights two off and on. I'm about 75% through with the rough draft. Once I finish that I'll go back through and flesh some things out. I think it'll clock in around 25k words. Not a bad length for a novella. I'm just way behind on it. My father has been clamping for the sequel for a while now.
Anyway, that's all for now. I'll keep you updated as to when the next issue will be up. As usual it'll be free the first five days on Amazon. Eventually I'll release them all on other platforms. I'm also thinking of an end of the year compilation. For now I have a cup of coffee waiting for me on the balcony. God bless.