Status Updates:

The slow boat progress continues. Not exactly burning through the words but forward is better than not.

What's Next:

The Wizard's Cat
It's coming along, being coaxed by treats and pat. It still doesn't trust me, I think, but I haven't given up on it

The SC Marva Collins (no change):
All three of the Marva Collins books are now up in ebook, paper, and audio.

Future Ishmael
Several people have asked about Ishmael's future. I'm not done with him yet. At least not done with that universe.

Tanyth Fairport
I really want to get back to her and the people in that world. When I'll find the time is anybody's guess.

What I'm Reading:

I spent most of my reading time on Scott Baron last month. All 12 of the books in that series. I'm starting a new series now, switching up to fantasy again.

My reading fell by the wayside as I worked through the samples in my queue, looking for The One that pulled me in. I knew I'd found it with the first few paragraphs of Melissa McShane's Book of Secrets, book 1 of The Oracle.

A simple story of a woman who needs a job, trying to find herself in the wider world before tumbling into an arcane universe that exists right under her nose.

Sound familiar?

In this case, Helena Davies finds much more than a job when she signs the employment contract to work in Abernathy's, a bookstore with an amazing secret.

Love the characters. Terrific mystery. Really fun take on fantasy where the journey is less about taking to the road and more about accepting who you are.

But don't take my word for it. Grab a sample of The Book of Secrets to see what you think.

No honorable mention this month. Between Scott Baron and Melissa McShane, I haven't read anything else. I don't remember the last time that's happened.

Looking Ahead:

I've been housebound for most of the month, finding excuses not to walk in the morning. Venturing out only rarely. I'm chipping away at the story but the flow hasn't started sweeping me along yet.

I didn't really take the time once my treatments stopped to find my feet. I grabbed onto the Marva Collins drafts and dug in, laboring away to get them ready before I had really recovered.

Lately my fixation on fountain pens has waned to the point where I'm not spending my days haunting eBay for the next find. I'm spending time with an old favorite game. Re-acquainting myself with the radiated wastelands in Fallout 4.

I'm playing my own game there. Very differently than I played it originally. I haven't seen the game in years thanks to Ark Survival Evolved/Ascended but it feels good. Meeting my old friends, telling myself new stories.

I'm still writing my "one positive thought" each morning. Still writing a haiku every day. Still practicing my penmanship and finding new bits of the Cat's story to write down.

I haven't given up. I'm just taking some time to heal.

Anyway, until next month, safe voyage.

-NL

Remember
I update the blog every month on the first so if you're wondering what's happening, you can check there to get an interim report until the next one shows up in your inbox.

Beta Readers:

Every so often, I put out a call for beta readers. These are people who are willing to read the work in progress in a short period of time with only the briefest of notices.

I'm going to be fine tuning this process going forward but if you'd like to be considered for future works, then click this link.

It puts a tag on your address in the email list. You don't have to check anything. The ConvertKit people (who store the addresses) will handle it and then take you to a page to tell you that your preferences have been set. By clicking that link you're done.

And thanks.

Fine Tuning:

Would you prefer to get ONLY new release notices? YES, PLEASE

Note: Newsletter people will get New Release notices, too, but
I've had several people say they preferred to only hear from me when I
release a new book so I'm trying to accommodate them.