Saturday, December 29, 2012

The Year Ahead



The world didn’t end on December 21, 2012.  Darned Mayans, now I have all this writing work to do.  

So what do I have in store for the coming year?  Oh, tons.  At least six new books, including two new ones from the regular Clans of Kalquor series.  Alien Refuge is well under way, and I’m starting to think long and hard about Book 8, Alien Caged.  

Also coming will be two new Clan Beginnings stories:  Clan Gelan’s book, Clan and Conviction, plus the as yet unnamed story of Clan Rajhir.  Then we also have Sister Katherine’s tale and the first installment of the To Protect and Service trilogy, Ravenous Virtue.  

Shalia’s Diary is also increasing in frequency.  I start posting entries on Mondays and Thursdays beginning next week.  

Also up this year will be a re-edited Alien Embrace.  What I had initially intended as a kind of ‘clean up’ of the first Clans of Kalquor book – fixing some typos that got through the first time, adding a little here and cutting a little there – has turned into a big re-write.  The basic story remains the same, so don’t think you have to run out and buy the second edition when it comes out.  Not at all.  There is no new alternate ending or anything like that.  If classic Alien Embrace suited you fine, don’t worry about new Alien Embrace.

What happened to make me tackle a major rewrite of Alien Embrace is that I’ve grown as a writer since its release.  Plus I feel it needs work because when I wrote it, I did not intend it to turn into a series.  The most I saw happening was a sequel.  However, the Clans of Kalquor just keeps growing with no end in sight, and it feels to me like the first book of the series doesn’t quite match up to later ones.  Kalquor has evolved, with more knowledge of how clans operate and the Empire’s history.  I have to reflect that in an updated version.

A few other things jumped out at me as I set about the quick editing job I’d planned.  We have an inkling of Breft’s past, but where were the background stories on Rajhir and Flencik?  Why did Flencik sometimes not act like the gentle Imdiko I knew he was?  Rajhir seemed almost mindlessly duty-bound to Kalquor.  Didn’t he ever experience the least little doubt or conscience when it came to abducting Amelia?  The more I read, the more things I wanted to cut completely out or elaborate on.   I’m not even halfway through in the process, and there are already 5,000 more words added to the story.  That’s right, it’s gotten bigger even though I have pulled entire sections out.  Don’t bother asking when the re-edited version will be available.  That is up in the air right now because this has turned into such a big job.

Those are the plans for 2013 at this time.  As we all know, life happens so this is subject to change.  It could be fewer books make it out than I hope.  It could be more are written.  We’ll just have to wait and see.

14 comments:

  1. Oohh, Alien Embrace the author's cut. More Breft etc would be good, especially after his appearance in Alien Redemption. Reading about characters from past books made me want to re-read their books. That darn time issue though.

    Is To Protect & To Serve the main non-Kalquor book you're working on? I can't remember and that's the only one that I have in my "books to buy" list that isn't a Kalquor novel.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The first book of To Protect and Service is indeed the only non-Kalquor book in the works right now. When it's done, I'll be writing the fourth Netherworld book, but that won't start for a few months yet.

      Delete
  2. Wow! Just to name a few, right? lol Looks like you have your hands full!

    I'm also curious to see what back grounds you have made up for Rajhir and Flencik. Rajhir was very duty bound and Clajak even touches on how staid and proper Rajhir always seemed before he clanned a Matarra in Alien Rule.

    I love how your characters have been getting even more depth and background with each new book! You've done a great job of incorporating old characters without letting them take over.

    Excited to see what you have in store for us!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hee hee, you have to remember how irresponsible Clajak was back in Alien Rule. One thing that didn't get touched on in Alien Embrace nor Alien Rule was that Rajhir is a distant cousin to the royal clan. His sense of duty comes partly from that, and no doubt he and party-boy Prince Clajak weren't exactly close before the Jessica/Narpok hearing. Maybe Clajak was even threatened by his cousin's strong ethical leanings because the prince was so afraid of assuming leadership. It will be interesting to see how much of that crops up in the upcoming Clan Beginnings books for Clan Rajhir and Clan Clajak.

      Delete
  3. Ok, I'm super interested in how you are going to do Clan Clajak! That was the one and only clan that felt more bro than bi to me. Maybe because Clajak was such a playboy and they all had unlimited access to intergalactic space booty. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LOL. It will be interesting when I get to them...especially the three days of Bevau's bondage when Clajak and Egilka coerced him to join the clan.

      Delete
    2. *involuntary drool* I forgot about that! I wish I could do graphic illustrations and drawing because how those guys look in my head is sooo hot! Have you ever thought about having the Alien series turned into Hentai or Manga?

      Delete
    3. I'd have to get all the rights back first, but yes, I'd love to see that. I think it would be awesome.

      Delete
  4. Whatever happened to those 10 fertilized eggs?? I've re-read it several times and always wonder...where are they now?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I guess they're still frozen, waiting to be used. I am sure that if Clan Rajhir decides not to make it an even dozen children in the household, they might be donated to clans having difficulty in producing children. With Kalquor trying to survive, I have no doubt they will be used at some point.

      Delete
  5. I've been enjoying watching your writing evolve, getting richer and more detailed with each book. I will be happy to read the revised Embrace. I bet Flencik turns out to be very yummy.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm putting in more interaction between the boys so we can see their personalities a bit better. Fortunately, I'm starting to formulate their Beginnings story at the same time I'm working on Embrace, so the two tales are helping each other.

      Delete
    2. I hope when you release the revised Embrace, you revise the cover art too. I love the new artwork you've been using lately and the original picture on Embrace doesn't do justice to the book or the characters.

      Delete
    3. I'll have to change the cover, because I'll be taking the rights back from the publisher at the end of the contract and releasing Alien Embrace on my own. Erin Dameron-Hill will be on tap to redo the cover, just as she's done all my self-published work. I look forward to seeing her vision of Clan Rajhir.

      Delete