I've Decided On My Next Book!

In my previous post, I had mentioned an audio drama that I was working on for Witch Doctor Films. Well, I wrote over half of it before they contacted me and asked if I'd be willing to finish a movie script that someone else had begun. I accepted, and we switched projects. Well, almost immediately I noticed that Cicada Song (which I made permanently free last month) got an uptick in downloads. As a result of this, Not Quite Home also got an uptick in sales. Wanting to capitalize on this, I contacted Witch Doctor Films and unfortunately dropped out of the project so I could focus on the next Anderson book. They understood completely (as I was helping them out for free) and complimented what I had written of the audio drama. They had finished it up and are very happy with my portion and theirs combined. I'll let you guys know when that one and the previous one are released. The previous one should be released soon.

Also, the paperback copies of Not Quite Home and Flitter & Plank 2: A Pixie Problem are coming soon. As expected, I had to do some edits to the covers. I'll have them out very soon. And in case anyone missed it, the paperback for From the Ruin of Extinction (Refuge book 1) is available on Amazon.

Now, I had mentioned before that I was torn on my next project. I mentioned the second Refuge book, the third Flitter & Plank book, and the paranormal book that I had begun for a writing contest. Well, I was also debating the third Anderson book but didn't feel I was ready to write it. After giving it more thought, I think I am. This next book will be like Cicada Song and Not Quite Home in that it will be a stand alone story that can be read independently from the other novels. But for those who have read the previous two Anderson novels, they'll get a bigger kick out of characters, locations, and events that come into play.

This book had previously been called Grandfather's Letters and then Janie's Gift, and now I'm questioning that title as well. So I don't know what to call it. I suppose I'll just call it Janie's Gift for now, but know that the title is tentative and could change at the drop of a hat. I'll tell you this though: this is the book that my mom has wanted me to write since I first explained the premise to her years ago. She was actually disappointed in Not Quite Home because she thought that was supposed to be this one until after it was already finished. So now she's getting her wish.

Without ruining anything, I can say this... one character that is returning for this story is Dave Blevens, the retiring school janitor in Not Quite Home. There will be other cameos as well... much like the Cicada Song characters in Not Quite Home... but Dave will have a very important role in it. I'm super excited to tell this story. I'll begin writing it in the next few days.

A LOOOOONG Overdue Update!

So here’s a little update on what’s been going on. I’m writing this quickly, so please excuse any grammar issues there may be.

I’ve been writing and editing like mad, but very little of it has seen the light of day until now.

From the Ruin of Extinction, the first book of my Christian Fantasy series called Refuge, is finished and officially for sale at most online retailers. I’m very proud of this story as it is a retelling of my very first, serious book attempt. I’m eager to write the sequel, but more on that in a moment.

The next book that I wrote was the loose sequel to Cicada Song called Not Quite Home. It’s a standalone story that does not need to be read following Cicada Song, but those who read my first novel would certainly get more out of the characters who show up or some events that are mentioned. The eBook is now finished and ready to be purchased at most online retailers. The paperback edition is still in the proofing stage. Basically, it’s ready to go, but I’m waiting on a preview copy to come in the mail for me to look over and approve. I expect to have to make at least one round of corrections on the cover, so I expect Not Quite Home's paperback edition to be ready for purchase in a few weeks.

The third novel that I've been preparing is Flitter & Plank 2: A Pixie Problem. This is obviously the sequel to my first juvenile chapter book staring fairies, dryads, and my daughters Paige & Kelsey: The Adventures of Flitter & Plank. It is in the exact same status as Not Quite Home. The eBook is available for purchase, but the paperback edition is in the proofing stages. It'll be ready in a few weeks.

So there we go. It feels good to FINALLY be caught up (mostly), and it really excites me that I can move on to other things. I’m torn on which direction to go, though. I am eager to get the Refuge series finished, so I sorta want to get that one written before anything else. I also like the idea of writing another Flitter & Plank novel while my girls are still young. Paige, my oldest daughter, just turned 10 years old, and I don’t know how much longer she’ll enjoy helping me with those. I already have the story in mind. It just needs written. Putting a wrench in both of those ideas, however, is a little paranormal story I call Solitary Village. I wrote a short story for a contest a couple months ago that was always meant to be the beginning of a longer tale. Well, it wasn’t selected for the contest, but I really enjoy what I wrote and am eager to get back to it. Plus, I already have a good chunk of it started. So wouldn’t it make sense to go ahead and finish it? Well, the jury is out. I’m still debating on which of these to focus on next (likely starting in the next week or two). It’ll likely be the second Refuge book, but we’ll see.

In addition to the book updates, I’ve also been asked to write a second audio drama for Witch Doctor Films. I wrote one last year that was taped and is in the process of being edited now. They liked it so much they asked me to come back and do another. That’s actually the next project that I’ll be working on. It’s the reason I haven’t decided which book to work on next. I have time. I’ll give more updates on this project when I have them.

As always, thank you for taking the time to read my work and blog. If you could be so kind, please spread the word.

Thanks,

Bradford Combs