Category Archives: The Young Sorceress

Update: The Young Sorceress

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I am currently in the middle of chapter seven of The Young Sorceress.  I think I have been working on this book longer than anything I’ve ever done beside Princess of Amathar (which was in the works for years and years).  I am determined to finish it as soon as possible.  It won’t be before the end of the year, but hopefully before summer.

The book is ostensibly about Senta Bly, the fifteen year old sorceress, though it follows several other characters– some of them new– through adventures in Senta’s fantasy world.  The story is in fact less important for Senta than the others– Isaak Wissinger, a writer who was hinted at in previous books, Kieran Baxter, who was a minor character in book one and hasn’t been seen again until now, and of course our usual band of suspects: Yuah Korlann, Iolanthe Dechantagne, Saba Colbshallow, and Bessemer the Steel Dragon.

This book will be about the same lenght as the Dark and Forbidding Land, in other words about two thirds the length of The Voyage of the Minotaur and The Drache Girl.  I’ll let you know when I reach the next milestone– say when I finish chapter ten.

Update: The Young Sorceress & Astrid Maxxim

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Seems like about once every two months, I’m saying that I’m putting The Young Sorceress on hold as I do something else.  It really seems to be a hard book to finish.  I’ve actually considered scrapping it entirely and just making Senta and the Steel Dragon a 4 1/2 book series.  But now that I’ve got almost seven chapters done, I wouldn’t do that.  I am however, setting it aside as I do something else….

I need to get the revision and editing done for Astrid Maxxim.  I want it to be out and available for Christmas, for all those young people who get Kindles, Nooks, and iPads under their trees.  This book is aimed at 10-14 year olds, but hopefully others will like it as well.  It shouldn’t take too long to revise and edit, as it is a relatively short book.  I’ll let you know.

The Problem with Children

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I’m working hard on The Young Sorceress, revising the part that I’ve already written.  I’ve discovered something.  I’ve written the kids in the story too old.  They are supposed to be 5, 2, and 1 and they’re talking like frickin’ geniuses.   One of those kids is going to grow up to be a college professor, and the other two have big destinies awaiting them too, but they’ve still got to be children for a while.  Oh well, that’s why we have revision.

Update: The Young Sorceress

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I just read the portion of The Young Sorceress that I wrote last year (about 27,000) words and I’m reworking the plot for the rest of the story.  What I originally thought was a single very complex plot, I now see as several different intertwining stories.  It’s much different than the other Senta and the Steel Dragon books.  One thing is for sure– I won’t have this story done by the end of the year.  I of course will update you as I go along.

What’s Coming Up Next?

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I’m still working on the revision of Blood Trade so I’m still looking at a November release.  What’s coming up after that?

– Astrid Maxxim and her Amazing Hoverbike
This is my first book aimed at younger readers.  Hopefully older readers will enjoy it too.  There is a possibility that this might be done by the end of the year.

– The Young Sorceress
The long awaited book 4 of Senta and the Steel Dragon.  This is a book with a complicated plot, making it difficult to write.  I love the characters and the story though, and can’t wait to get back to it.

-The Two Dragons
The fifth and final book of Senta and the Steel Dragon.  This book has been essentially done for almost four years now.  All it needs is a bit of revision and editing, but it can’t come out till book 4 does.  Look for it about a month after The Young Sorceress.

Work in Progress: The Young Sorceress

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The truth is that I had to set this book aside.  The plot got so complicated that there was no way that I could work on it after school and on weekends and keep it straight.  It may be too complicated anyway.  I may have to start all over.  But if I continue as it is, I definitely need to wait until summer, when I can devote all my time to it.

When summer comes, if I’m nearly done with what I’m working on, I’ll finish it.  Otherwise, I’ll set it aside and retackle The Young Sorceress.  I need to get it done, because as I’ve said before, book 5 in the series The Two Dragons is essentially complete.  It needs a quick rewrite for continuity’s sake and I might add a chapter or two.  Whenever I manage to publish the Young Sorceress, The Two Dragons should follow within a month or two.

Update: The Young Sorceress

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Now that I’ve finished His Robot Wife, I’m back to work on The Young Sorceress.  So far it’s a lot of fun, and easy to write.  The Senta and the Steel Dragon books just seem to come out of me of their own accord.  It’s very much like I’m just describing events that I already know happened.  Anyway, target date for this is early summer.  I expect that the rewrite of book 5 (The Two Dragons) won’t take very long and should follow book 4 in a month.

Update: His Robot Wife

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I’m really working hard to finish His Robot Wife.  I’m almost done with chapter six.  I was originally hoping for a February 3rd release, but it ain’t gonna happen.  I’m shooting for March 3rd now.  I’ll need at least three weeks and a half-dozen volunteers to revise and edit.  If this works out, I can still get five books out this year, which is my goal.

March 3: His Robot Wife
July 3: Senta and the Steel Dragon Book 4: The Young Sorceress
August 3: Senta and the Steel Dragon Book 5: The Two Dragons
October3: Women of Power
December 3: The Jungle Girl

Why the 3rd?  The official birthday of City of Amathar Press is February 3, 2007.  February 3rd was chosen to honor my brother– that was his birthday. 

Update: Senta and the Steel Dragon Book 4

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Here as you can see is the cover design for Book 4 of Senta and the Steel Dragon.  The title is The Young Sorceress, indicating that Senta is the title character of both book 3 and 4, but not number 5.

This is a much more Senta-centric story as the fifteen year old sorceress really stretches her powers causing a great deal of friction with almost everyone else in Port Dechantagne.  It’s quite different than the other Steel Dragon books because in none of the earlier books does a single character occupy so much of the story.  Right now, I’m about halfway through chapter five, but I’m on hold as I finish His Robot Wife.

Book 5 has been essentially complete for some time and has much more of the flavor of book 3 which I wrote at the same time.  But it will require a major revision to fix any holes created by The Young Sorceress.

I would be interesting in hearing what you think of the cover picture for the Young Sorcerss.  Senta looks about like I picture her at that age, and the doll plays a small part in the story.

Senta and the Steel Dragon Book 4: The Young Sorceress

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I’m almost done with chapter two of this book and it’s feeling pretty good.  I was going to wait until late 2011 to start working on it, because I wanted to get some other projects going, but it just feels so good to be back in Birmisia that I can’t help it.  And since I’ve already written book 5, I have more incentive to write Book 4.

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