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Book 8 Update

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Hey, did you know I was still writing novels? It’s a true fact! Another true fact is that I finished up the latest Hazzard Pay novel, Book 8, just yesterday. I sent it off to my editor, who should be able to look at it next week and then I’ll be able to make her recommended changes and then you’ll all be sorry!

Or you won’t. I dunno.

Anyway, the new book is a little different than the past ones. My other novels are all just one long, single story, but for this one I divided it up into four separate, shorter stories that all come together to form a bigger story at the end. Hey, if it’s a technique that works for John Scalzi, I’ll make it work for me, too!

So yeah, after I get the editing done and get a cover for this bad boy, I’ll release it upon the unsuspecting world. That should be…some time this summer, I guess? Wild. So expect to hear more about that soon.

Book 7 Update

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Summer’s almost here, and I’m sure everyone would love a new book to read over said summer vacation. Well, have I got news for you!

See, I know it’s been far too long since I posted anything on here about a book I’m actually working on. I got edits done on Book 7 back in December, and they just sat there for six months as I didn’t even bother opening up the document and working on it.

That changed this week. I completed edits earlier today and I have started work on the (always tedious) formatting. Tomorrow, I’ll order the cover from my cover artist. All of this means that Book 7: The Armageddon Seed will be available probably by the end of June.

It’s been too long since the last book. Yeah, I did the short story collection late last year, but it was 2019 when book 6 came out. That’s a long time to sit on a cliffhanger.

But hey! I’ll have a cover reveal for you folks here before too long, and information on the arrival date for the book around that same time. It’s exciting! And I’m already neck-deep in the follow-up, so hopefully things will flow a little smoother from here on out. Fingers crossed!

Book Seven is with the Editor!

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I finished the initial draft quite some time ago, but I finally got Book Seven sent off to my editor this past weekend. She’s giving it the once-over as we speak, so I should probably have the edited text back within a week or so.

Of course, before I can publish Book Seven, I want to publish the short story collection I’ve put together. That will probably come out in November, and Book Seven will come out in spring of 2024. I’m excited for y’all to read the next chapter in Eddie’s story, which is a bit of a culmination of the whole kit and kaboodle.

In other creativity news, my brother has started mixing the songs for the next album, tentatively titled Middle Aged Heartthrob. It’s the coffeehouse album that I’ve definitely always had in me.

Book Progress

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Though it’s been a while since I talked about them, I do still write books. I finished up the first draft of Book 7 late last year; it’s with my beta reader right now. I also have a short story collection ready to put out, assuming I can figure out a cover and get one arranged.

On top of all that, I’ve started work on Book 8. It’s structured a little differently than previous Hazzard stories. Rather than this being one long case, it’ll be a series of shorter cases that all build up to something bigger. I’ve finished the first quarter or so of the book, and I have the other three sections roughly plotted in my head. It’s progressing well; I’m hoping to have it finished by the summer, ready for an autumn 2023 release. We’ll see how the process goes. I still need to get Book 7 edited and a cover made for it, and all that costs money.

So. y’know, if you haven’t already, consider buying one of my books or emailing me at crooked42 [at] gmail dot com to order a CD.

Book 7 First Draft Complete!

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While I haven’t been talking about it here lately, I’ve quietly been working away on Book 7 behind the scenes for a while now. There was a long period where I didn’t get anything written, sadly, but that has given way to a burst of activity over the past few weeks. And so, it is with great relief that I announce that Book 7, The Armageddon Seed, has a completed first draft!

Of course, now I have to set about getting it edited and having a cover made. I already know what I want the cover to look like, and I already have an editor, so it shouldn’t take too long to get those things knocked out once I have the cash to pay those fine folks. With luck, maybe I’ll be able to have this book ready for a Christmas release.

Anyway, I’ll keep folks updated as more things develop with this book. I’m really excited to get it out there for everyone to enjoy. I also still have the short story collection that’s just about ready to go (it just needs a cover), so I’ll probably try to get that released before this book.

Happy New Year!

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Welcome, one and all, to the year 2020! In celebration, I have a surprise for you: a new cover for Book 4, Crooked Halos!

Now, I updated the cover earlier this evening, so it may not show up on Amazon until tomorrow. But I think you’ll agree, from seeing the cover below, that it’s miles better than my original cover (which is not to throw shade at the original cover’s creator; she just didn’t have the resources available to make the cover I really wanted).

Anyway, behold! The new cover for Crooked Halos:

Pretty keen, eh? Here’s the full paperback cover, complete with synopsis and all that jazz:

New Books Coming Soon!

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Yes, you read that title right: books, plural!

First up is Book 6 in the Hazzard Pay series, The Long Fall Into Darkness. I just put it up for pre-order over on the Amazon this morning. It comes out March 27th (coincidentally, my birthday. And a Friday in 2020!). Assuming I can get KDP’s website to accept it, the print version will likewise be available that day.

Here’s the blurb for Book 6:

Life’s not easy for former Organization Boss and sometimes private detective Eddie Hazzard, especially when someone’s said the quiet parts of his identity out loud for him. Eddie’s been revealed as the (at least temporary) leader of the only criminal syndicate in Arcadia, and everyone wants a piece of him for it: the cops, the criminals, and this strange guy who keeps dying and being reborn over and over again. But if Eddie wants to clear his name, he’s got to get out there and confront the woman who’s behind all his misery: Carmen, the sister of his sometimes ally Vera Stewart, who has…well, there’s something mysterious and shifty about her, that’s all he knows. If Eddie doesn’t solve this case soon, he may not get a chance to solve any other case. Ever.

‘Cause he’ll be dead.

Exciting, no?

But hey, you say, I said “books plural” up there, didn’t I? Why yes, I did. And the second book is actually a children’s book that’ll come out this week!

The second book I’m here to talk about is called Dr. Jayne and the Missing Unicorn Horn. If follows the exploits of magical creature doctor Jayne Marie Forrester, whom everyone calls Dr. Jayne. She’s the best there is at what she does, and what she does is help out magical creatures. So, when Herman the Unicorn arrives at her office one morning missing his horn, she sets off an adventure to help him find it!

Hope you enjoy the sneak peak at the cover (minus trade dress, which is fancy author talk for “title and author’s name”). It was drawn by yours truly:

Book Six Is Done!

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This morning, I wrote the last words on Book 6. It is officially drafted!

This one came easily, especially compared to Book 5. I wrote it in fits and starts, grabbing a few minutes here and there whenever I could, but it flowed and came together quickly. I’m actually quite proud of this book, and can’t wait for everyone to get a chance to read it.

That’s going to have to wait, of course. I’m sending it to my editor next week, and then I’ll have to do all the formatting and setup on the paperback copy and all that. I’m thinking I might make this one available in Kindle Unlimited, and maybe even go back and make all of my books available there again (going wide hasn’t done much for my book sales, so there’s really not much point to it).

All that being said, when can you expect Book 6? Probably around February next year. And I’m already elbow-deep in Book 7. I’ve got the rough plot outline done, and I know what I want to do and what’s going to happen. It’s just a matter of getting all the words on the page in the right order now.

NaNoWriMo Roundup

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Well, November has come and gone, and I did not get my novel finished.

I’m sitting at about 37,000 words on the thing, which I feel is pretty damn good. It’s not 50,000, for sure, but I know what the rest of the book needs to cover. I’m pretty sure I can get it finished in the next couple of weeks.

So, what worked and what didn’t?

Well, writing in short burst worked pretty well for me. Most of my writing took place between classes and during lunch or right after school in five to ten minute chunks. I was usually able to get a few hundred words cranked out each time, which was awesome.

Something else that worked pretty well was doing a bit of plotting beforehand. Did I follow all that plotting? Hell no. But it got me thinking about my characters before I started writing them, and it helped steer the direction I took the story.

But what didn’t work? Well, writing at home, first of all. There are too many distractions there, and I found myself staring at the screen and writing nothing more often than not.

I also need to start keeping better track of character and place names. I spent an hour one day last month combing through old novels, short stories, and half-complete stories trying to find the name for a character, only to eventually decide I hadn’t named her. I could’ve spent that time actually writing if I had a document with my characters’ names and basic info listed.

All in all, I feel pretty good about my progress on Book 6. No, the first draft isn’t done, but that’s okay. It’s not like I was going to be ready to put it out before Christmas.

But hey, congrats to all those NaNo’ers who got their 50K written. It’s a helluva thing, ain’t it?

The Halfway Point

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We’re about halfway through the month of November, so I thought I’d give y’all a little status update on Book 6.

I’m currently sitting at a little under 24,000 words on the book. About half of that was written before this month began, mind you, but things are proceeding apace.

I’ve already commissioned the cover, from the same artist who did the cover for Book 5. I’ve seen the rough sketch for it, and I’m pretty pleased. I’ll share the final art when I get it.

I’ve got the book plotted out. I’ve got lots of surprising revelations in store for you; I am, as always, doing my best to just put Hazzard through the wringer.

I’m excited for this book. I feel like it’s one of my strongest to date so far, and I really cannot wait for you to get your hands on it. In the meantime, Book 5 is available to buy!