Tuesday, December 15, 2020

Round 1 Revisions are Finished!

 Welcome everyone!

Saturday I got all the the revisions from my first round of readers completed. The new draft is off to the second round readers who have already started. Man, it feels good to get that done. There's a huge weight off my shoulders now, and I can enjoy the holidays with a clear mind.

I wanted to post this yesterday, but when I tried, it appears Google's services were down due to a hacking incident. 2020 just won't quit, will it?

I don't expect to get anything back form my second round readers until after the New Year. That's fine with me since I won't have much time to work on their notes until then. I've been under a lot of stress lately, so I need to take a few weeks for myself.

Anyway, I want to wish all of you a very happy holidays this year. I'm glad 2020 is drawing to a close. I'm ready for something new. I hope all of you are well. Take care of each other.

Peace,

-Troy

Thursday, December 10, 2020

Saving a Draft is Not the Same As Posting

 Welcome everyone!

So yesterday I wrote a little post about how I got the next chapter done in Book 3 in my Hunter's Rose series. It was short but sweet, and I was ready to publish it. Then, I went to help make dinner. When I came back, my computer had shut itself off to save power, and when I restarted it, I forgot to hit the publish button! Ugh.

So... today, you get a two for one. Chapters 22 and 23 in the third book are ready for my beta readers. I'll probably get the last of it done Saturday, as I've said. That means I can send off the book on a Sunday, which will give them a chance to start it before the work week begins.



Overall, I'm pretty excited about this one. I get to tell some very intimate stories about my characters, stories I've been saving for a while.

Previews will start in 2021, at a time yet to be determined. Keep checking back here for more updates as we go!

Peace,

-Troy

Tuesday, December 8, 2020

Just Four Chapters Left in Book 3!

 Welcome everyone!

Chapter 21 is in the books (get it?). That leaves the last four to go. I'll be finished by Monday, which will be December 14th. Originally I set December 12th as the goal, and I could still make that, but I've been super busy at work this week.

Being a teacher during COVID has been an extreme challenge. If you're a parent with school-age children, I don't have to tell you how hard it can be for students to stay focused and engaged when learning from home. While it's certainly been necessary because of the virus, the sooner "virtual learning" on a large scale is abandoned, the better. 

Anyway, that's enough griping. On to something positive. The 2nd wave beta readers should get their copies this weekend since I'll probably finish on Saturday. If you're in that group and you don't get your copy, hit me up through our regular channels of communication. If you'd like to be part of the third wave readers, reply to this post or contact me some other way with your interest. Positions are still open.


Thanks for reading, and I hope you are doing well in these difficult times. Stay strong and take care of each other.

Peace,

-Troy

Monday, December 7, 2020

A Great Weekend!

 Welcome everyone!

I worked hard this weekend to make some progress, and man, did I! I got three chapters done! 18, 19, and 20 are now ready for the next stage of the writing process. 

Speaking of which, I was able to reach out to my next set of beta readers. I was worried that they wouldn't be able to read for me this time around. COVID has affected so many people in my life, I sorta assumed that they'd be too busy.

Turns out, they're not! In fact, all is well. So I'll be able to continue with the fabulous feedback I've gotten in the past. So hopefully by the end of this week, I'll be able to get my current revisions wrapped up and new copies of Book 3 sent out.



Anyway, I hope all of you are doing well. Happy Holidays and take care of each other.

Peace,

-Troy

Friday, December 4, 2020

Chapter 17 is Now Revised

 Welcome everyone!

I almost forgot to post an update. I worked on chapter 17 today and got it knocked out. I'm also swamped at work at the moment, so I just don't have time to go into detail. The main thing is, I'm still on track to finish by my self-imposed due date.


Peace,

-Troy

Thursday, December 3, 2020

Sweet 16

 Welcome everyone!

I finished up revising chapter 16 last night, and I am SO glad. It brings about a major shift in location for the main character, Tristan. This is the part, as I remember, where writing the book got easier. I'll talk more about that during the launch. Regardless, I expect revising will get easier from here on out as well.

Anyway, I'm doing something very different with Book 3 than I did with The Huntsman and the She-Wolf and The Huntsman and the Vampire. I figure by the third installment, people are ready for something new. I hope they are, anyway haha! 


So anyway, that's 16 down, 9 more to go. Right on schedule.

Peace,

-Troy

Wednesday, December 2, 2020

Chapter 15 Completed!

 Welcome everyone!

Chapter 15 is now revised. 15 isn't the longest chapter, but it does have a couple complicated scenes, and now, I'm so much happier with how they turned out.

Several times in Book 3 I split a scene between chapters. 15 is one of those chapters, at least for the moment. So at the beginning I had to finish up the scene from 14 and resolve a whole new scene that gets introduced.

I have to pay close attention to continuity in these situation. I constantly ask myself two questions: "How did the characters get to where they are?" and "How do they know what they know?"

A good reader will pick up on lapses in continuity very quickly, so writers have to be on the lookout for people who magically show up out of now where or characters that clairvoyantly know what everyone else was talking about. It's a challenge, but so is all of writing.


So thanks for reading. I'm marching on towards my goal, and it's good to have you here. Take care of each other, and I'll see ya tomorrow. 

Peace,

-Troy

Tuesday, December 1, 2020

14 Down, 11 to Go

 Welcome everyone!

Chapter 14 is revised. I'm not moving on to 15 and already making good progress. I see some things in this chapter that I'll probably have to change again later down the road, but I can't let that stop me from pressing on. I need a new draft ready to read for the next stage. The second set of revisions will come in their own time.

But for now, it's me vs. Chapter 15. I'll be back tomorrow with an update on who wins ;-D



Peace,

-Troy