It’s been a minute.

To say I’ve let my blog fall by the wayside in the face of other projects would be an understatement, one I intend to address and resolve going forward. The last update was in May, so prior to resuming weekly posts which tackle a wide range of writing-related issues, this one will largely consist of a status update.

First, the sequel to ‘Lion Fangs’ is almost ready for publication, with the manuscript having been completed in September. Currently I’m negotiating the cover design with my artist and finalising some minor tweaks suggested by my editorial team. I’ll update the status tracker on my site and post the image to my social media channels as well.

The release has been pushed back to January, in order to ensure the best quality of work for my readers. Initially the self-imposed deadline was for October, but it ended up feeling rushed at the last few hurdles.

At least it won’t be delayed for over a decade, right? (Insert a certain famous dragon-y author here, you all know who I mean.)

As for the sequel to ‘Gunmage for Hire’ the manuscript has been progressing well, and currently stands at around forty percent completion, with a projected publication date of May, 2026. Never underestimate the amount of time required for final revisions alongside back-and-forth discussions concerning the cover illustrations. I’ll be posting further information through my blog and social media as work progresses.

With regards to my reviews through Goodreads (see the ‘g’ at the top of my site), I’ve built up a backlog of around twenty-five books to add in the coming weeks. My Kindle Scribe has plenty of recorded notes and information to help kickstart my memory once I sit down to write them; it’s been a great tool for creating storyboards and sketches as well.

Finally, my latest children’s book written under a different pen name is about to hit the market through Amazon and IngramSpark. Initially my intention was to publish both as a children’s author and writer of fiction under two pseudonyms, but it quickly became apparent trying to juggle two marketing campaigns and identities was unreasonable.

Perhaps someday if I’m a Times best-seller with a fleet of support staff behind me I will revisit the concept. However, for the time being the two books I’ve created for young readers will mostly be aimed at family members and interested followers through my Instagram channel. Still, I’m pretty pleased IngramSpark allowed for larger hardcover editions, compared with Amazon’s very limited options for landscape releases.

Most of my time outside of the above projects has consisted of ‘actual’ work (fellow writers will likely sympathise) in the areas of marketing and brand development. Anyone who follows ‘bookstagram’ and the current trends in the writing world will know just how tricky it can be when writing under a pen name. Unless you’re willing to put your face out there and jump around holding books, it can often feel like an uphill battle.

Alongside an avoidance of generative A.I. for content creation (yes, it does in fact almost always look terrible in posts), the process can be laborious at times. But, the feeling of accomplishment is all the greater for it.

I’m by no means a Luddite nor entirely anti-A.I., as established in my previous blog post, but I do think writers of fiction should ultimately write their own prose. If they use different tools to reach that point, or such assistance is required for accessibility issues and special needs, then obviously I’m not against such support.

Still, being an old-fashioned writer can feel somewhat alienating in relation to current developments. Hiccups and delays may rear their ugly heads on occasion, but at least you can always rely upon the fact my books are entirely products of my own imagination and skill, for better or worse.

Keep your eyes peeled for ‘Tiger Claws: Lewis Frobisher Tales, Book II’ in the near future, and be sure to follow my social media for a range of posts and daily musings. They’re not always directly related to my own work; several of my recent posts or reels covered fun fantasy or science fiction gadgets and collections. For example, the first wave of the new Cosmere RPG release:

Have a great Friday and subsequent weekend folks!

Best wishes,

C.A. Fitzroy