Hey, everyone! You've probably been wondering where I've been! I apologize for the absence, and I know so many of you have been patiently waiting on the new Ripple Affair and Captain Patty books. I wanted to give an update just to let you know I haven't forgotten anyone, as well as provide insight as to what's been happening over the past couple of years so you have an explanation for the silence. It's my hope to do more here now that things have started to settle down, as well as get more books out to you!
Why the long wait?
In short, my health wasn't the best. Past caregiving, chronic illness, and getting covid took its toll and caused a lot of stress that's been hard to recover from. Though it's been good to finally get some names for my ailments (like adenomyosis and chronic migraine variants,) it's been a struggle to be engaged in writing while also working another job. With my migraines, I don't typically deal with headaches (although I have them around 7-10 days each month.) What I deal with almost daily is the auras/variants, which causes my vision to be impaired and my ability to use words to get jumbled.
Some examples include having difficulty hearing a word or sentence (either the Charlie Brown teacher effect or hearing something similar and mixing it up, like substituting the word dawn for dog) or speaking coherent sentences (either having difficulty finding the word to use, or switching words around in a sentence, like saying, "The road crossed the dog" instead of "The dog crossed the road.") Brain fog is a constant companion, and when your ability to use words is impaired at times, it can be really difficult to write a chapter, let alone a sentence.
Needless to say that the combination of health issues has slowed me down quite a bit, but despite that, I want to let everyone know that I've still been writing (even if it's been at a slower pace.)
What's going on with Heir of Vengeance:
After the cover reveal, I'm sure many of you were thinking The Ripple Affair: Book Five was finally going to be released! The good news is, it IS finished. I'm doing the final edits as we speak, so I'm thinking it should be ready within the next few months. That's the current goal, at least. What took so long is that during the last few years, I started working on a side project (bad, I know) on a backstory for a certain villain who debuted in Heart of Deceit and will be taking center stage in Heir of Vengeance. This backstory also includes the pasts of Bohden, the Recu leader, and Callida, Malina's elder sister. Their backstory, and how they're all connected, not only provides key insights into the past and their motivations, but also connects deeply to the rest of The Ripple Affair and how the story ends. Because of this, I had to go back through Heir of Vengeance and update certain scenes, take away others, and add specific dialogue to make sure the current story reflects what's happened and what's to come.
I will say that quite a bit of this "backstory" is actually written and being prepared for publication, though I'll be honest - it may be a bit as Heir of Vengeance and The Adventures of Captain Patty are taking a higher priority. I do hope to have the TRA prequel out before the end of the series, so that way you all can read it and connect the dots to how it all fits together.
What's going on with Captain Patty and Whalebone's War:
I've been hearing from so many of you on how excited you are for the finale of Captain Patty, and I have to say that it warms my heart that this story has resonated with readers. I honestly didn't expect this series to be as popular as it was, and it's inspired me to continue future stories in the adventure genre as I've found this to be a delightful story type to explore.
Captain Patty and Whalebone's War is currently being written, and though I originally planned it to be a shorter finale, writing it has proved otherwise. The finale is going to go big, and depending on the finale word count, may have to extend into a few more books. So far, the finale will follow Patty, Reuben, and Samantha's points of view (just like the previous books) and at the very end of the series, I have a BIG surprise in the epilogue (already written) that is going to give you a hint of the next series in this setting. Ironically, this new series that is following directly after Whalebone's War almost has the first book complete, and I can't wait to show you some previews as I have to say, the Captain Patty sequel is perhaps my favorite, as well as my most personal, work I've ever done.
Back to Captain Patty, because Heir of Vengeance is being released first, I wanted to give you all a few hints or teasers on what to expect for the finale:
We will be meeting a new character - Elias Smith. Is he friend or foe? A bane or a boon? I have to admit that I've had WAY too much fun writing his character, and I hope you'll enjoy him as much as I have.
A lot of questions people have been wondering about will be answered. What has Willy Whalebone been up to all this time? What happened to the previous grand admiral, and how was he ousted? How is Bartleby connected to all of this?
We'll be returning to some familiar places like Tortuga and Whalebone Island, but also visit some new ones like...the Palace of Versailles?
Will they get together, or won't they? We'll have clear confirmation on which relation"ships" sail and which ones sink.
You know how you have an outline and plan things, but characters get their own ideas and start causing shenanigans? Well, two characters who really weren't supposed to do much together decided to tag team and cause chaos. You'll find out about this unlikely duo in the story, but expect shenanigans and a mutiny involving turkeys. (I know, I know. It makes no sense to me either, but you know how book characters are. They swear it's part of the plot and that it'll add some much-needed comedy.)
What's coming up next:
As you can see, things are still happening! It's my hope (now that things have slowed down a bit) to keep you all more informed as well as get more books out to you. My current goal is to be posting daily on my new Bluesky account, and I'm hoping to post a weekly update here on the website so as to keep you all in-the-know of what's going on. Thank you for your patience, everyone! I know it's been a long wait, but I hope it'll be worth it in the end.
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