Okay, I know I've been bad about updating this blog. Yes, it's true. I had planned on monthly updates, but not only did life and surgery get in the way, but I've been spending nearly all my time wrestling Book Two into shape, which is now in the hands of several beta readers! Yes, Book Two has finally reached the beta phase! And in case you missed the social media announcement, the title of Book Two of The Order of the Silver Sword is. . . (drumroll):
Shockingly, the working title for the book actually became the chosen title, and it will hopefully be the published title as well unless my betas strenuously object to my choice. But with my precious problem child now out of my hands, the month of September is being dedicated to several goals that have been put on the back burner while Song of the Starborn was being revised and revised and revised (and revised, and revised. . . ).
The first of these goals is to finish recording the audiobook of The Sword and the Spark. The most common question I get asked at conventions is whether the book is available as an audiobook, and since I've been trying to get an audiobook version out there since The Sword and the Spark was first released, this is my number one goal. The process is incredibly time consuming, and I just didn't have the energy to give a good performance while juggling revisions on Book Two with a sudden surge in dubbing work. However, with Book Two out of the way, it's a lot easier to shift to recording book chapters once I've wrapped the day's dubbing projects without feeling pressed to get back to writing and revising.
The second goal is to create maps and a character glossary for all the books of the series, starting with the second edition of The Sword and the Spark. Yes, you read that correctly. The Sword and the Spark will be getting a second edition release in the months leading up to the launch of Song of the Starborn. What will those maps look like? Well, here's the map of Sandarr to give you an idea.
This is my first hand-drawn fantasy map, and I'm honestly pleased with how it came out. Midtown, the Garin Mesas, and Morvana should be pretty familiar to readers of The Sword and the Spark, but also mentioned in that book are Volorn, Norru, and Lerin, which are mentioned in Book One and play roles in Book Two. I learned that both visual representations of mesas and buttes don't translate well to maps like this, but the book descriptions should hopefully fill in those details; and when it comes to the northernmost sections of Sandarr, including Bane and the mountains to the north, you'll just have to wait and see for yourself how those factor into the story.
The third goal for September is simply to sit back and let my beta readers and cover artist do their thing. The difficulty in actually accomplishing this goal is why I have goals one and two, which are both fairly challenging. I have also added the bonus goal of working on Book Three, which is set to be a prequel to The Sword and the Spark..
Well, that's where we are, folks! I hope this answers any questions about where this series is headed and what is to be expected in the near future. Check back in October for more, and expect a release date for Song of the Starborn to be announced at the end of the year.
Until then, Stars light your way!