Mid-year review and reset.
Back on track? Not so much.
I keep telling myself that I am publishing my books to learn the process and improve my skills as a writer, and at this stage, book sales shouldn’t matter. But sometimes it is hard not to feel like an abject failure and just grind to a screeching halt, questioning every single thing. The last few weeks have seen a lot of that. The quotes from the printer for the illustrated New Zealand edition didn’t help, nor did they motivate me make a start on the illustrations. #whine
But there is nothing for it, other than to throw out the next release dates, pull myself out of the quagmire, and keep going.
Little wins to celebrate
Book Three, The Spheres (still a working title)
One of the goals of 2026 was to be smarter about the way I write, so I picked up where I left off and continued on the outline. My spreadsheet is still a masterpiece in process, but I feel more and more comfortable with the approach. I currently have six sheets:
A Timeline listing the main events referred to in all three books and the age of the main characters at that time where it makes sense. This is very helpful when aligning Eass’ and Lynn Wayward’s backstories—a big part of Book Three.
Story Threads and Loose Ends listing the hints and breadcrumbs I generously sprinkled over Book One and Two and never explained or answered.
Character Anchors—similar to character arcs but less formulaic—outlining where each character’s mindset is at each stage of Book Three.
The Scene Spine with one row per scene grouped into chapters and parts. I ended up with too many columns—all must-haves of course—which is why I added another sheet that I call …
Movement and Transitions placing each character in a location and a context at the start, middle, and end of each part. Less granular than the Scene Spine and more detailed than the Character Anchors.
I will see where this takes me.
Book Two, The House, locally printed edition
So … my local printer was bought by a bigger group with a separate brand to print self-published books. The paper and printing process is different, the costs are higher, and I just want to hide under my blanket and scream in my cushion. Which will get me nowhere. So I need to suck it up like a good buttercup and move on … once I regain my motivation to start on the illustrations.
Book One, The Fragments, audiobook edition
The audiobook edition of The Fragments is finally out and about!
Other book news
Currently reading/listening?
I just started reading Rose/House by Arkady Martine, the author of the Teixcalaan Series. Murder in a Sentient House? Count me in :). I listened to The Mercy of Gods and The Faith of Beasts, The Captive’s War #1 and #2 … not as good as the Expanse, but what could be.
That’s about it for now. More soon (づ ᴗ _ᴗ)づ♡
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New here? I write adult fantasy that sits somewhere between dystopia, post-apocalyptic fiction, and science fiction—complex, a little dark, unapologetically nerdy.
I’ve published two books in a trilogy called The Spheres—The Fragments (2022), The House (2025)—and am working on Book Three. If you enjoyed this post, why not sign up to my newsletter or get a free review copy?
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