January is a weird month. It’s a mix of looking back at the year before and kicking off the year ahead. In my professional life, we always did a “Lessons Learned” after each project and fiscal year. It’s sort of ingrained in me to do that, but I’m personally more fond of looking ahead.
So, that’s what this email is about: forging ahead into the new year.
Substack Updates
My portal fantasy serial, Chamber of Power is currently on hiatus as I discover my way through season three (tentative return date is in March). Seasons one and two are complete (read them for free).
What started as a fun-to-write serial, with each episode based on a prompt, has become an epic fantasy. If you read it now, know the first episodes are begging for a rewrite, but I’m not going to do that until my other projects are done (see below). It’s still worth reading as the story isn’t changing, just the writing of those early episodes needs to be better now that I’m so invested in finishing this journey to push the darkness out of the land of Magh.
I’m also committed to posting at least one new short story or flash piece every month in 2026. Expect the Tales of the Myriadu to continue to grow!
More on Target 10: Demption Chronicles Book One
Many of you read Target 10, the serial version, here on Substack or the ebook I gave away with my non-Substack newsletter. I’ve been diligently working on the novelized version that will be Demption Chronicles Book One for a while now. I’ve restructured it, rewritten scenes from other points of view (when it made sense), added a new opening and a longer denouement (that’s a fancy word for “ending” we writers like to throw around). It’s a more satisfying story as a novel, though I still appreciate the fast-paced, quick-read chapters of the serial.
Mostly though, I just love these characters. Their story continues in a direct sequel that sees them continue their unexpected adventure and exploration. I’m writing the second book while also writing the rest of the Porwia series (see below). It’s something I think I can manage now that my real-life situations will provide more time I can dedicate to writing.
The short story I posted on Substack this month is about one of the main characters from Target 10. It’s a snippet of Reby’s background that will one day get its own novel. It’s called Last Night on Azu, and you can read it for free.
Off Substack Updates
While most of my fiction makes its way onto Substack in one form or another, I haven’t posted the novellas for The Butcher of Porwia series (the prequel is available to read on Substack). I started the series way before Substack was a thing, and it just makes sense to me to keep it separate. But if you like what I write, consider checking it out. Here’s an update on where the series is now.
Book three is almost ready to send off to the editor. We go through at least two rounds of editing before the final proofread, so release is still months away, but I’ll keep you updated on progress.
That’s a sneak peek of the cover for Book 3. I’ll have a title and cover reveal closer to release.
If you want to be on the ARC team, fill out this form:
https://forms.gle/Gp8qwDsmzJA1eboW8.
If you haven’t read the first two books, I have great news! The Butcher of Porwia series is now in Kindle Unlimited (KU). It will stay there until the series is done (so no tricky switcheroos on later books). After that, I can’t say how long it will stay in KU, but long enough to give readers who have been following along a chance to finish the series.
One more thing…
Please take a minute to follow Dead Lands Rescue on Kickstarter. My daughter’s debut novel, it’s a tale of survival in a land where your magic will kill you, or the creatures will, or you’ll succumb to the maze-like desolation, or…you get the idea. It’s called the Dead Lands for a reason.
The Kickstarter is for an early-release ebook and paperback, plus a special edition hardcover. When you follow, you’ll get notified when the project goes live. We’re considering having pre-launch follower bonuses if we get enough traction. So please share it far and wide!
And that’s a wrap for January.
Happy reading!
Like my stories? Consider buying me a coffee so I can write some more!