It seems that it’s July already, which means that 2020 is officially halfway over. Let’s hope that the first half of the year wasn’t just a warm-up.
Things are going pretty okay here at the Castle Frostbite Magic Novel Factory. We are still doing the social distancing thing and have been keeping to ourselves since March, and from the encouraging COVID-19 numbers for NH, the vast majority of New Hampshirites (yes, that’s the official term) have done the same. I go out once a week for groceries, we wear masks in public, and playdates/hang-outs with friends are still a no-go. International travel will not be a thing for us in the foreseeable future, which means I won’t be able to see my German family and friends in person this year. But that’s why we have Zoom and Skype and WhatsApp, and those are cheaper than airplane tickets anyway.
I do find it a little harder to concentrate on the work due to all the background anxiety from COVID-19 and the general political situation, but like a smart person once said–the difference between an amateur and a professional is that the pro shows up for work every day regardless of mood. I am on schedule to turn in CITADEL, the third novel in the Palladium Wars series, by the end of July. Then I have a Wild Cards and a Frontlines novelette on my calendar for August and September, and the last three months of this year are blocked off for writing Frontlines #8, to be delivered at the end of December. (I can’t give you a release date for that because I haven’t even started it yet, but if I turn it in on time, I am guessing it will be an end-of-year release for 2021.)
Last month marked the one-year anniversary of my ditching of social media, and I can honestly say that it has been a massive improvement for my productivity and my overall mental state. I can’t even imagine the anxiety levels I’d feel if I still spent a good part of my day cycling through the noise on Twitter and Facebook.
That’s what’s going on here at the Castle—work, work, work, and keeping my head above water in this dumpster fire of a year. Hope you’re all staying safe and sane out there. Wear your masks, keep your distance, and be kind to each other, because there’s more than enough angry noise out there already.
Yay! More books. Stay safe and have fun!
Thanks l started the 1st book terms of enlistment well I was working in a library doing physical and intellectual descriptions books . It’s known as cataloging. We are the librarians behind the the reference librarians. I got to read and catalog the first three books before I retired. Since then I’ve read everything including Points of Impact. Can’t wait to read the next few titles.
Thanks for the sit-rep. Be well.
I’d also be interested in how humans colonized all those planets. How did they get there without faster than light speed drives etc. I hope you expand on this in future books.
They were settled from Earth a good millennium ago via generation ships.
Ballistic was awesome. I almost wish I hadn’t discovered this series until you were four books in. So good.
Thank you for this. And your books. Stay well everyone in the frostbitten castle.
Will there be an end to the Frontlines series? I have enjoyed the series a lot and want to end that one before I start one of your new ones.
Will the Lankies get a voice? What does the war look like from their perspective?
Yes, there will be an end. Right now I have two more Frontlines novels planned.
“Ballistic” was a winner. Guessing “Citadel” may be a barn-burner. Keep up the good work. As I always say, we can read ’em faster…well, you know. 🙂