The first book I ever published, volume I of the Dark Legacy Series, was released in August 2017. While my plans to publish volume II in 2020 hit a roadblock, it’s set for publication in the May-July timeframe of 2021. Almost four years later, the second entry hits the shelves. For me, that’s entirely too long. With that said, I bring news from the shared, Dire Universe.

Volume III has seen its last revision and self-editing phase. It’s ready to go to the editor, and the only thing left to work out is the funding. With this latest development, I have further news on two fronts. I’ve begun revisions on editing volume IV. This will be a massive undertaking, and the book stands at 402,389 words upon completion. My sole intent is to whittle the word count down to a more manageable size. This means cutting excessiveness, often in world-building, introspection of characters, and cutting excessive words in sentences. I hope to cut 75,000 words. I don’t know if this is possible, but it’s the goal.

Volume IV is the first book with narration on a more globular level. Newer characters travel far and wide, across the Golden Sea or further south to the city of Elysys. There’s a lot of world-building coming to these cultures, and I plan on leaving these relatively untouched when it comes to my ruthlessness with a scalpel.

This also brings me to my last bit of news about the Dire Universe. I’ve brought aboard two companions to help me mold the future of the fantasy series. These two minions, er–collaborators, will help keep the ship righted as I move forward to the latter end of the series. The books have grown exponentially in scope, and I need help to see that path. This will take time to get them up to speed in the world of Ermaeyth, but I’m sure they’re up to the task. More news to follow on the Dire Universe.

That’s it for this round, short and sweet. I shall return…

If you enjoyed this content, check out my books, The Bearer of Secrets, Mark of the Profane, The Demon’s Fate, The Dark Portal, For Heathens of Heaven, and Flawed to the Core: Building Memorable Characters and Writing on Amazon. All works are available on Kindle Unlimited, eBook, and print. Reviews can be found on Goodreads and Amazon.