And cover art is in progress, actually, though the book is still in its most beginning stages.
I'm going to be honest here and tell you that this book is giving me fits. Not because of anything to do with the book itself, really, or the story, or the characters. Just because my creative tanks are emptier than empty. (I don't even have fumes to coast on at this point.) It isn't writer's block or anything. I could force myself to get the words on the page and it would probably be fine enough, except for the hating myself. But right now, the idea of writing another book -- any book -- makes me want to run screaming into the woods, never to be seen or heard from again. And honestly, considering I haven't really given myself permission to take a break from writing since 2013, and I've been going non-stop since then jumping from one book to another with deadlines looming, this probably shouldn't be much of a surprise.
I *think* I have time to fill the tanks. I *think* I have time, still, to write and complete Orc 3 to keep the end of 2017 tentative/hopeful release date I've put out there. And I want to meet it -- I want to have this book done and in your hands and not have it hanging over me anymore. But I don't want to give you a third book that is just me "getting it out of the way" either. It won't be my best work if I do that, and I don't want this third installment to betray your faith in me, or betray Arianna and Bolthorn's characters, either.
So what I'm going to say is this: please, please understand that I'll try my best to deliver, but I need to make sure I don't burn myself out, and that means I need to take some time off from writing long form, and take some of this pressure off myself to produce. I need to rebuild and refill my creative reserves to give you the best book I can give you and keep myself from turning writing into a thing I hate. And if that means that Orc 3 does not arrive before the end of 2017 -- that's just how it will have to be. I'll try to write you some Orc Saga novella/short story type something to tide you over if it comes to that, but that's all I can promise right now -- all I feel comfortable promising.
I know some of you will be upset by this news, but I thought it would be fairer to put it out there now than to pretend like everything was on schedule and cruising along.
Thanks so much for your understanding! And don't forget that you still have two more releases from me as Amalia Carosella to look forward to -- TAMER OF HORSES this October, and DAUGHTER OF A THOUSAND YEARS in February 2017. I'm also hoping to put together a Fate of the Gods novella/short story collection for you all, so you can get all the small side stories together in one volume in print and ebook edition -- maybe with something new (short form) that you haven't seen before, too. I have a couple of completed novels in my back pocket, also, that I'm considering releasing for you (like maybe that Thairon book? If you might be interested?), but I don't have any firm ideas of when or IF that's something I can take on right now. I'll keep you posted, of course, when/if anything gets nailed down.
Take care of yourselves, my creative friends! Give yourself permission to take a break, and do what you need to do for you.
Amazon | Barnes&Noble
Amazon | Barnes&Noble
