Here in Tampa, the last of the pollen is going, and the muggy days are coming. Besides the allergies, everyone in the family is, thankfully, healthy. Work's been busy, but I've been able to keep a pretty good pace in writing. So here's an update on the works in progress....
I've got two novels coming out, one in the near future, the other in the very near future. They're both fantasies, and that's about the extent of their similarities. Coming out very soon, The Mountain (from Montag Press) is a quarter-million word, dark, epic fantasy with a strong twist of the gothic slow-brewed in some allegorical mysticism. Three narratives (and around a dozen subplots) gradually draw together into a cohesive whole that (I hope) will leave readers eager for the sequel (the story is a stand-alone, but there are enough loose ends to support a duology). The editing's done, the cover, back, and interior stuff are all finished; all that's left now is the layout. Look for a release announcement soon.
Meanwhile, the good folks at Ellysian Press have begun editing Yonder & Far, a more standard-length (at a smidge over 100K words) historical fantasy. Yonder is a little more light-hearted with a slightly upmarket tone. It follows the adventures of two Fae gentlemen banished in 1798 Boston, trying to find a way home. It's a little like Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell meets Casablanca topped with a dollop of Patrick O'Brian and Freemasonry. The book was a heck of a lot of fun to write, and I look forward to seeing how the final product will shape up.
My current work-in-progress is something of a first-time venture in that I'm trying my hand at writing an entire novel in the first person. Which is more challenging than I thought it would be. But I'm coming up on the halfway mark, and it's picking up steam (I'm hoping the rough draft will be finished by the Fall). It's tentatively titled "Godless," and it's loosely based on a short story I wrote last year. If you want a sneak preview of the main character, check out my story, "Don't Call Me Godless," in the July/August 2020 issue of Collective Realms. You can read it for free at www.lazyadventurerpublishing.com.
Thanks for stopping by the website.
Matt