I can’t believe it’s been a month since I did one of these. I have a feeling that will start becoming the trend down the line with so many different things going on every month. But enough jibber-jabber, on with the writing update!

Writing Update

Pathway in the Dark is drafted! Next February’s short story collection, and Book Four of the Greystone series, is all set for the self-editing phase and I couldn’t be happier with it. I’m really happy with the decision to jump from novel to short story and back again with this series and it opens up a ton of unique avenues for story-telling, especially when it involves supporting characters.

May and June are editing months it looks like but I’ve already started pooling my notes for the fifth and final book in this part of the Greystone series. Lots of plots coming together. Mysteries revealed. Characters going bye bye. I’m going to be a wreck when I sit down to draft this puppy.

The Medusa Coin – I want to thank by beta readers for all their help and support over the last month. I know I don’t give enough time to really dig into the draft but somehow you always manage to read it and offer great tips on how to improve the work. Advance copies will be available this summer before the book’s launch in September. Keep a lookout for more information soon.

The Tales from Portents 99-cent sale ends this Sunday so make sure you snag your copy before it goes back to full price!

Promos

Signs of Portents will be part of the Spellcasters Fantasy Promo from May 6th to the 14th. Lots of free books to add to your e-readers for the coming summer.

You can find the full rundown of free books over at A.J. Martinez’s website.

For more free books, please check out The Prolific Reader. Melanie Tomlin has put together a fantastic repository of Instafreebie books that you can download. At last count there were over 450 titles (including Resurrectionists, because I am EVERYWHERE…)

Reading

Batman: I am Suicide – Tom King’s work on this book is fantastic. I wasn’t a huge fan of the first volume of his run or the Night of the Monster Men crossover but with this arc I am fully invested. His character work is topnotch and his handling of Batman, his voice, and his world grows stronger with each issue.

I absolutely loved the Batman/Catwoman dynamic, including their letters to each other that run as narration through different chapters of the main story.

Mikel Janin doesn’t need any praise. The man is a marvel with a pencil. His layouts are dynamic and intricate. Just beautiful stuff all around.

Green Arrow: Island of Scars – I’m going to start with my one gripe with this book: Why isn’t there a PREVIOUSLY PAGE? I get that this is volume two and that there is a previous arc to read prior to this. I read it… three months ago. And yes, I don’t remember what happened! All I ask is a small blurb to bring me up to speed, especially since this collection is dependent on having read the first.

Anyway, Benjamin Percy knows Oliver Queen better than anyone at this point. He has the character nailed and doesn’t bog him down with internal strife. Ollie doesn’t work that way and Percy gets that. I really enjoyed the shorter arcs in this collection. Each one was tightly plotted and great character work while never losing sight of the larger story being told in the series.

Prescient by Derek Murphy – A great prelude to a larger series. Derek Murphy does a fantastic job building the world, both present and future, and never loses sight of the most important aspect of his story – the characters.

From teenage drama to post-apocalyptic struggles at the drop of a dime, Murphy handles both with ease. Well paced, Prescient left me with tons of questions and the desire to find the answers when the first full length novel in the series comes out.

Talk to you in a few weeks. Thanks for reading.