Despite the quite frankly enormous demands on my time from my day job, Astrid Maxxim and Her Amazing Hoverbike is coming along. I just finished chapter 12 of 20. This is of course the first draft, so much of the work comes after the book is written, but I’m still hoping for a November release.
At this point it’s easier to count down how many pages I have left, at least as I originally plotted the book. 29! Twenty nine pages left. Now since every book I’ve ever written has been shorter than originally plotted, we can expect that there might be fewer. It feels so good to be within sight of the end though. This has been a much harder story to tell than just about anything I’ve ever written. I’ll keep you informed.
It’s been a little over five weeks since I updated you about my current project. It’s taking me a lot longer than I expected. I’m just taking longer to write this than some of my other books. I’m not sure why, exactly. I’ve just finished chapter 9. There will probably be 13 chapters in all. So, since I started this about the beginning of April, you might expect that it will take me about six more weeks to finish the first draft. If that is the case, I won’t be ready to revise it until after school starts, and that means I’ll be working much slower on it. So, my best guess for right now for publication is about the 1st of October. Wow! That seems like such a long way off, especially considering I wanted to get three more books done this year. I guess that’s not going to happen. The following is a repeat of the short blurb I posted about five weeks ago about the book. Details are subject to change:
Blood Trade is the story of Goth Girl/Former Army Ranger/Private Detective/Tattoo Model/Vampire Hunter Xochitl McKenna, who is thrown into the world of human trafficking committed by both humans and vampires, as she hunts for a twelve year old runaway. Crossing paths, and sometimes getting in her way, are Vegas Cop Vince Rizello, mysterious FBI agent Dominic Zielinski; Novelyne Cavendish, a 200 year old ditsy blonde vampire, and Larry the werewolf.
Someone pointed out the other day that it had been a long time since I had finished a book. I looked and it was seven months between The Drache Girl and His Robot Wife. I think it’s because I’ve got so many projects started. I’ll work on one for a while and then switch to another. Here’s what I’ve got going right now, with projected dates.
Senta and the Steel Dragon Book 4: The Young Sorceress (6-2011)
I’m finishing up chapter 6 (of 22) right now. I’ve been working on it more than any other.
Senta and the Steel Dragon Book 5: The Two Dragons (7-2011)
The first draft of this book is done. I wrote in in 2007. I’ve got to wait until I finish book 4, then go back and revise this one. So it won’t be more than a month behind The Young Sorceress.
Women of Power (9-2011)
I’m halfway through chapter 5 (of 10). I could finish this pretty quickly, if I can just focus in on it. Right now, it’s moved to the back burner.
The Jungle Girl (11-2011)
I’m almost done with chapter 5 (of 20). I was really pounding this one out, but put it aside to finish His Robot Wife. Now it’s fallen behind The Young Sorceress and Sons of Armageddon.
Knights of Amathar
A lot of people ask me about this one. I haven’t worked on it for a long time now. I have 4 chapters done of 30.
Nova Dancer
A science fiction/space story. Barely started.
Cosmos: The Cygnus Gateway
Another sci-fi story– very different from Nova Dancer, but taking place in the same universe. Again, barely started.
Sons of Armageddon
The sequel to Tesla’s Stepdaughters. I wasn’t going to start on this for a while, but it just had to come out. I’ve got 2 chapters done (of 20).
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.
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.
In a world where men are almost extinct, someone is trying to kill history’s greatest rock & roll band. Science Police Agent John Andrews must negotiate a complicated relationship with Ep!phanee, the band’s lead singer; drummer Ruth De Molay, bassist Steffie Sin, and the redheaded clone lead guitarist Penny Dreadful, as he protects them and tries to discover who wants to kill the Ladybugs.
Tesla’s Stepdaughters is available as an ebook in a variety of formats at Amazon, Borders, Kobo Books, Diesel Books, B&N, Apple iBooks, Smashwords, and wherever fine ebooks are sold. Paperback editions are available at amathar.blogspot.com.
I have an outline for a sequel to Tesla’s Stepdaughters and a couple of posibilities for the title too. It would be a mystery set of course in the same world, and would feature Science Police Agent John Andrews. The Ladybugs would be in the story but would not be central to the plot like they were in this book. I don’t know when I’ll be able to start writing it though– 2011 is pretty full.
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.
As I write this, I’m smack dab in the middle of chapter four (there will be 10-12 chapters) of His Robot Wife. This book is a bit weird for me. I’ve never before written with the feedback of hundreds of people in my mind. It’s an interesting feeling, but it’s slowing me down a bit. I hope to have the first draft done within a few weeks.
Well, I’m back at work on His Robot Wife. I’ve got what I think is the best first chapter I’ve ever written. Now to see if I can keep at it for nine more.
City of Amathar 