So I was hoping to have this update update be the actual update I'm aiming to update you all on, but sadly, it can only be an update update because I realize how long its been since I last updated you guys on the status of the books.
Book 5 is nearly done and will be headed out to beta readers as soon as I finish my ongoing editing pass. Don't get your hopes up too high though, because it does tie in tightly with book 6. That means I may need to hold the book back for weeks or even months to make sure the two books weave together the way I intend them to.
Don't be too scared off by those words, because I also have most of book 6 written as well. Its just the last %40 that's bogging me down because there's so much to bring back together. (Keep in mind, I will have some lengthy story-edits to do after that is done, so just writing that last %40 won't mean I was finished.)
All in all, I've made remarkable progress, faster than I've written any of the other Spellheart books. That's a combination of having more experience as a writer and taking some additional time off of my day job to spend more hours a day plugging away. My book sales are down right now so I can't afford to take too much more time off, but I hope the boost in productivity from the extra time I've put in will move up the publication schedule by a month or so.
I don't want to give any firm dates quite yet, but rest assured I'm alive and writing, and I will update you all when things become clearer. Stay tuned for more extensive news in the next two weeks or so!
Edit: Update 2/25/2021
I did finish book 6, but I didn't like the division point so I reworked some aspects of book 5 and 6 to fold in the content from book 7. Essentially, its going to be another 3-book story arc like the first three. As a result, I should be able to release #5 sooner, but #6 and #7 will take a bit more time. Basically, they should read like normal stand alones thanks to the changes I've made, instead of like a book that's been cut in two.
