First off, I'm really sorry for not returning when I said I would. Editing turned out to be WAY HARDER than I expected, but I've learned a lot from it. So, here's a big update on what's going on with my books and what's next:
The Second Stranger (Book 1)
Book 1 is officially COMPLETE, and the final draft is with my publisher for copyediting!
Here's what's changed:
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Word Count: The book went from 190k words down to a tighter, punchier 140k words. I cut a lot of Erik's internal monologues and excessive overthinking during action scenes—thanks to your great feedback pointing out pacing issues. I'm much happier now with how fast-paced and engaging the final version is, while still keeping the depth and detail of the worldbuilding.
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Blood Infusion System: Instead of a big info dump later in the story, I've spread out explanations of the blood infusion system throughout the book. Now readers will discover each level gradually, which should clear up confusion.
Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.
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Main Cast Changes: To streamline things, I've adjusted the core group of characters. Now Erik's main crew consists of Erik, Silas, Mel, Tevin, Sora, and Luna (Lunafreya). Other beloved characters like Lucius, Rinka (Sora's twin), Ruriel, and others have been assigned to different houses. This helps prevent character overload and keeps the story focused.
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Lunafreya: Lastly, I've made Lunafreya's behavior more suspicious earlier in the story, so her big reveal later makes sense and feels earned rather than random.
What's Next:
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I'll be deeply outlining Book 2 of The Second Stranger in March. I've learned a ton from writing Book 1, so I want to take my time to plot carefully this time around. Regular chapter releases will resume in April, with two updates each week!
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For those excited about my second series, The Prepper Chronicles, featuring a retired beat cop, Paul, navigating an isekai world, I'll spend more time developing the story. Expect chapters to start coming out around late April! That posting schedule will probably be more spread out than TSS book 2. Maybe once a week.
Finally, I want to reassure everyone that I have officially signed a three-book publishing contract, which means The Second Stranger series WILL be completed. I have set manuscript deadlines, so you can look forward to consistent content coming your way. I am also incredibly confident in the prepper chronicles book that I know it will be published too. Stay tuned!
Thanks again for your patience and incredible support—I can't wait for you to see what's coming next!
Cheers, Sadsquatch