the Author

Category Archives: Essalieyan

October
1
15 Comments

State of the Author, September 2024 edition

Posted in Elantra, Essalieyan, life.

It’s been a long month. In fact, it feels like it’s been three long months, all condensed into September. I was sent copy-edits of Heir of Light, the new Sagara novel (it’s the sequel to Shards of Glass). I was given enough time to do them. I… have a bit of a flinch response to copy-edits. My father’s 90th birthday was this September 11th, and because he’s getting on in years, my sister flew in from LA, and my brother from Victoria. So — we were all going to have dinner together. My sister and brother were staying with my mother at our child­hood house, which is what normally happens. My brother, however, tested posi­tive for covid the day after he arrived. My father tested posi­tive Tuesday morning. … Continue reading →

April
24
107 Comments

State of the Author, April 2024 edition

Posted in Cast, Elantra, Essalieyan, writing.

I appear to have missed the month of March entirely >.<. When last I wrote, I had mentioned plumbing failure. Plumbing failure did, indeed, cause destruc­tion of the base­ment from the back of the house to the front of the house. They have to jack­hammer through the cement flooring and dig up a trench to get to the old pipes so they can remove those, and then replace them with new pipes. This was also required on the lawn, so lawn — which is a tiny city lawn to begin with — is less grassy as well. While the plumbers will put the dirt back and pour cement once they’ve finished, the cement takes a suggested three weeks minimum to dry enough that we could paint or glue. Which is fine. And … Continue reading →

February
3
35 Comments

State of the Author, February 2024 edition

Posted in Elantra, Essalieyan, writing, Shane Rebenschied, Kathleen Oudit.

January was the month of reviewing copy-edits for Cast in Atone­ment, while writing the Sagara book that is not yet titled — Magic School 2. Copy-edits are gone, and until page proofs arrive, only writing remains. The West novel in progress is The Wild Road. I have broken 100k words, and I am hoping that the book will be 250k words long. Or less. To be fair, I was also hoping Hunter’s Redoubt would be 250k words long. Which it wasn’t. The only West novel that has stayed on the right side of 200k words was City of Night. Which came in at 176k words. I honestly do not write long books on purpose, but… I write them to reach the end. Some­times the end is farther away than I thought. … Continue reading →

January
1
28 Comments

Happy New Year!

Posted in Essalieyan, writing, Mira, life, Academia, Cast, Elantra.

In 2023 I finished and published Hunter’s Redoubt, the first book in the final sequence of the West universe. In 2024, I intend to finish The Wild Road. Or at least finish the first draft of the book. It will still have to be revised, editing, copy-edited, proof-read. Having a publisher didn’t mean those things didn’t have to be done, but my part in the doing was much smaller. It was reac­tive, not active. But having done it once, I think I’m more aware of what can go wrong, and things should be much smoother. *** In 2023, I finished Cast in Atone­ment, but that’s author-finished; the book will be published in, I think, August 2024. 2023 also saw the publi­ca­tion of Shards of Glass. For me, “finishing” a book is done … Continue reading →

October
30
12 Comments

Hunter’s Redoubt book day

Posted in Essalieyan, self-publishing, Publication, Hunter's Redoubt.

Hunter’s Redoubt is now avail­able! …mostly. Print versions can be ordered from retailers. Amazon’s version of the trade paper­back went live on Amazon sites today, and that is the version that will be shipped if you order the paper­back from Amazon. The audio­book has prop­a­gated out to Kobo — but it hasn’t reached other audio­book retailers yet (I checked before I posted). I will try to update links on the book page as it does. I am still in Kansas City, but we’re leaving for Toronto today, so I may be out of internet reach while we travel.