And So We Hit a Snag

 Welcome everyone!

We are still making progress toward publishing Book 03 in my Hunter's Rose series. However, my proof reader (the last editor to see the book before publication) has had some unforeseen personal difficulties arise. She must address those before continuing work on my novella, and I'm only too happy to extend our contract time. I know how hard problems like these can be.

I'm hoping to hear from her again soon. I'll contact her in a couple of weeks to see if the situation is resolved. I don't believe this occurrence will delay my book all that much. It's just another hurdle to overcome in a process that's seemed to have more hurdles than I ever could have imagined, haha!

So what does that mean? Well, the delay has opened an interesting opportunity for me. While I'm waiting, I might as well make good use of my time. I've started something I'm going to call PROJECT X. I think I'll be able to get it finished before my book is ready for corrections. It will need some extra work after that, but as soon as I feel it is in good enough shape, I'll share it with you. I think you'll love it, even though it's different from what I've been doing in the past. Intriguing, right?

Anyway, take good care of each other. I'll be back soon with more updates. Thanks for sticking with me!

Peace,

-Troy

Final Revisions for Book 3 Completed!

 Welcome everyone!

I'm so glad to finally share an update with you. The pandemic has hit us all in different ways. Isolation, confusion, exhaustion, and more have been our most consistent company these last three years. In the midst of dealing with all of these, I have continued working away at the third book in my Hunter's Rose series.

I am very pleased to announce that all edits are now completed. There will be no major or even minor revisions to the book. The story is complete!

There is just one more step: proofreading. Spellcheckers and grammar checkers have come a long way since they first appeared in the 90's. However, they are no substitute for a trained professional. I cannot stress how important is it to have a human being carefully examine your book to make sure that there is consistency in the spelling of names and use of accents in dialogue. No spell checker that I'm aware of can match the human mind in these instances.

In addition to the pandemic, one of the biggest issues I've faced is not being able to work with the same people who helped me with The Huntsman and the She-Wolf and The Huntsman and the Vampire. I've talked at length about how my interior artist and cover/layout company have gone out of business. These were severe blows to me.

I also thought that my editor would be unable to work with me again. She's recently given birth and launched her own novel at the same time. However, in a surprising and fortunate twist of fate, she was able to edit my book! I'm so grateful to have that consistency. Likewise, the proofreader I previously used has agreed to proofread Book 3! This is absolutely fantastic news. 

For a fantasy novella like mine, familiarity with the names and characters is critical for success. The fact these two women already understand my imagined world and my writing style has made and will make the final correction process so much easier.

Proofreading is the last step of writing. No further changes to the manuscript will be made once that process is done. All that will be left to do is cover, layout, and publishing.

I can't wait to share this book with you. It's going to be great! 

Peace,

-Troy

The Proof is in the Proofreading

So right now, I'm waiting on my proofreader to finish. This is the last step before my manuscript will be finished. It's agonizing right now because I know real life events are taking time away from her to finish with my book. I'm sympathetic. I know how busy my life is, but I am SO ready to be done with my first work. I'm starting to get sick of looking at it.

So let that be a warning for all you #aspiringauthors out there. Even when you love your book (and I REALLY LOVE MY BOOK), you will get sick of working on it. It's normal, and all it means is you are reaching the end of the process. If anything, that should be reassuring. :)

Peace,

-Troy