Hello everyone! Yes, I’m still alive and still working diligently on my projects. I realized while editing Vhantalya that the story was only about a hundred and sixty pages, and as I want it to be a novel and not a novella or short story, I have been adding in new scenes that will set up and tie in the sequels a bit more, and expanding some scenes a bit more realistically. As well, I am delving into the characters, their histories, and their development in a far more rich way.

My plan is to still have this ready for beta readers by summer, along with Reboot. After the holidays, my writing time and ability should be taking off a bit more. I am also working on the cover art for Vhantalya so expect to see that posted up in the next day or two.

For those who follow my Facebook page, you might notice that I have posted up some Wombo art. For those unfamiliar with Wombo, it takes a set of words and paints a unique image via AI based on those keywords and different art styles. I won’t be posting the Wombo art here, but on the page I have taken certain scenes I am currently in the middle of writing and used key words from those scenes to create a ‘dream art’ of what I am working on. I have also cut and pasted the part of the scene that inspired said art. It’s kind of both a teaser and a metric of what I am working on in particular at that time.

That’s it for now! I just wanted to say Happy Holidays and a grand New Year to all!

Back up your work! Right now. Do it. Back it up. Preferably to a thousand different places. Whatever it is.

So I haven’t posted any updates in a little bit and here is why.

Despite the fact that I know better – I really really KNOW better- I didn’t have Scarlett backed up to anything other than an old USB drive I’ve been using for a donkey’s age. Everything else? Backed up elsewhere. Scarlett? Nope.

Well, the USB crapped itself. After working for an entire day with various recovery software, and then even shipping it to a professional recovery service with a stellar reputation – second only to actual law enforcement forensic data recoveries – it’s gone. A year and a half of writing, 90,000 words, over 200 pages. Just gone.

There’s no getting it back.

BACK UP YOUR WORK RIGHT NOW! Even if you know better. Even if you usually do.

For now, clearly Scarlett will not be done by end of year. I’m pretty much stuck starting from scratch. So I have pushed Scarlett back to the end of NEXT year, and for now will instead be focusing on Vhantalya’s rewrite/final edits, and getting Reboot finished. I’m still aiming for summer on both of those. More specific dates will be upcoming as I know them.

That’s all for now.

I’m seeing an eggnog and fireball in my future.

Eight pages written today. I keep waffling between conviction that I’m absolutely going to get Scarlett done in time for beta by New Years, and fear that I’ll be lucky to have it done by next Fourth of July.

It really feels like it’s coming into focus now, at least. I have a clear idea where I’m going, it’s just a matter of picking my way through unexpected potholes (or, plotholes I suppose!) and getting it all together with the pieces fitting correctly.

Done for today. Tomorrow…here’s to another eight to ten pages. Why not?

I have finished and added my ‘cover’ of Scarlett to the front page. I will be doing covers for Reboot and Vhantalya as well though it may be some time before I get those finished. I’m over the moon about being able to paint again, but apparently I have slowed up quite a bit.

Two months and change until Scarlett is hopefully ready for beta. As soon as it gets to that point my search for an agent officially begins.

My next focus will be getting Vhantalya through this full edit and to the beta stage as well. I will update the site as each new milestone is hit, adding my next projects onto the front page as I am focusing on them.

I am moving away from Facebook, and while my page there will remain up and semi-regularly updated (for now) I cannot guarantee how long that will be continuing. If you want to keep informed on what’s going on please subscribe here!

Thank you, and feedback is always welcome!