Today, we have a couple of announcements here at Odyssium R&D. Do you want the good news or the bad news first?
Correct answer: THE BAD NEWS FIRST! Come on, get the worst out of the way first so you have something to look forward to once that hurdle's cleared, right? Right. So, here we go:
The bad news is that IN DARKNESS AND LIGHT, the first volume in a forthcoming line of neatly spaced Odyssium Collections is being put on the back burner for an early 2018 release. As mentioned before, it's due to a matter beyond my control--though the wait, I believe, will be worth it. More news to come on that when it arrives, which I hope will be soon.
The good news, however, is that the first draft of Book Two of the Eyes of Odyssium series is not only DONE, but it's a hefty sucker (at least by my standards--stop looking at me like that Stephen King and Tom Clancy's ghost with your monstrous, leaden tomes!). The first draft comes in at a hair under 450 pages, not including the as-yet-to-be-written Behind the Scenes goodies. And yes, as I've already alluded to the fact there are certainly bigger books out there, my personal sweet spot for these Odyssium books are typically between 350-400 pages with everything included. So the fact this one--when it's all said and done--will come in within shouting distance of 500 pages is not quite what I was expecting, but I'm happy with everything that made the cut so far. And hey, I'm just glad it didn't end up so big I had to make it a Part I/Part II-er like it was the last book in a series of Young Adult movie adaptations...or a 13th PARAGON book.
So when will it release, since the first part of 2018 belongs to IN DARKNESS AND LIGHT? Erm, that is to be decided. Through December I don't get really any book work done due to the day job, so December is going to kick off a short writing reprieve for me that will maybe last a few months before I start reeeeeeally editing Book Three. I'll be taking a small breather, catching up on some games that've been loitering around on my to-play list and in general, trying to enjoy life a little with the family. During that time, however, my brain will be churning up ideas for Book Four of Eyes of Odyssium. I have a concept ready for it, but it's nowhere near ready to even outline yet.
So, that wraps up today's announcement from my teensy corner of the interwebz. Until next time, take care and Thor: Ragnarok on!
(sorry, saw it last night and felt compelled to be a dork)