The Shadows Print Proof

I put all this work into revamping this blog and then promptly got busy editing the rest of the Nine Lies Series (the rough drafts of which are done, in case you haven’t heard!), and then, since finishing the website, I only posted one real blog post that wasn’t just an announcement or an update. Unfortunately, all I have for you again right now is another progress report. But I wanted to let you know some exciting news!

A Little Background

I started Shadows, the fifth book in the Nine Lies Series, almost as soon as Vengance was done, but due to my big international move, I really struggled to finish it for a long time.

I had a lot of stops and starts, and seasons where I reread what I had already written of Shadows only to become too busy again to finish writing it. It wasn’t until May of 2023, over two and a half years after Vengeance was released, that I finally had the time, focus, and environment I needed to sit down and finish it.

I plunged into writing the rough draft of the next book, and then the next and the next, and finished the last book in the series in November of 2023. This was great news - but it also meant that now I had five books to edit and publish instead of only one like usual.

I needed to finish redoing my website first, so I took a break from more creative things, and then finally came back to editing. Editing has always been challenging for me - not impossible, but not as easy as creating things from scratch.

Dealing with a series is even more daunting because there are so many things I need to hold in my head at the same time to make sure there are no inconsistencies. And dealing with a series that I started so long ago - Weakness came out in 2017 - sometimes feels like holding almost a decade of ideas, thoughts, and research all at once. It’s been pretty intense.

But I have finally reached a milestone worth telling you about!

I Made a Print Proof of Shadows

Like I’ve said before, I like using a print proof as part of my editing process. It helps me in so many ways, so I look forward to getting to this stage, but it requires so much work in itself that usually comes later in the process.

Not only do I have to have the manuscript mostly how I like it, but I also have to get a working cover design ready and come up with marketing blurbs that I may or may not have thought about before this point. (Those things all usually need revisions, too!)

But I’m happy to report that I finally finished making the print proof - and, even more exciting, it arrived today! I’m not sure if I’ll jump right into editing or not (the holidays are usually a busy time and I am so much better at editing when I can focus), but I’m very excited to be entering this stage of the process.

I’m not sure when Shadows will be ready to publish, but I will let you know. For now, I am thankful for how far I’ve come, and looking forward to getting even more done soon. I hope that in the days ahead you have little delights that make you smile and feel thankful, too!