Every once in awhile there comes a point when the mental conversation that continuously swims in my brain needs to spill out on the page. Or in this case, the blog. I can keep things pretty straight most of the time, tucking little nuggets of information into posts and then keeping the sweet revelations for a later date.

This time I wanted to share what was ahead in the coming year and beyond.

Not only is my hope to whet your appetite so you’re as excited as I am for the upcoming collection, Tales from Portents, but also to add some accountability for myself. A little extra motivation to hit my deadlines (the earlier the better) won’t hurt and give me a roadmap to follow.

2017

February 17th – Tales from Portents. The first short story collection in the Greystone series. A prelude to the events of Signs of Portents, Tales was originally meant to serve one purpose: set up the events already depicted in Signs. As I plotted out the stories I wanted in the collection I realized that it could do much more than that.

It could act as a bridge between novels. Both thematically and in action. A project I was very nervous about publishing has become one of the most influential pieces of the puzzle for what is to come in the first cycle. Trust me, each story plays a part in what is coming.

September 8th – The Medusa Coin. The second full-length novel of the series and a story I have had kicking around my head since 2009. New characters are introduced and a great new threat as well. A few of them actually. When I originally wrote the outline there was a little trepidation.

The Medusa Coin stands as the midpoint for the first cycle of the series. Not only did it need to build on the first novel, there also had to be a path to the final chapter as well. Subplots from seeds planted in Signs start to form a bigger picture without losing sight of the main thrust of this standalone novel.

A tightrope act to be sure, but I think it will work out.

December 1st – Founder’s Day. Much like Resurrectionists, Founder’s Day is a novella offered ahead of the second short story collection. When developing the lineup for the next collection I thought back to Tales for inspiration and realized there were plenty of threads left to pull.

Including a direct sequel to Resurrectionists itself. If you haven’t read it yet, I won’t spoil it here. Suffice it say, Founder’s Day plays off the events witnessed in the novella with a heavy nod to the history of Portents laid out in Signs. The script came together beautifully and I am looking forward to drafting it once The Medusa Coin is set.

2018

February 9th – Pathways in the Dark. The second short story collection plays off the events of The Medusa Coin. It follows our leads directly from the threat posed and builds on the decisions made at the end. Each story stands alone but all connect to the larger framework of the first cycle.

Elements from all the previous books play a role in Pathways. Some of the tales within have been kicking around the old noodle for years so to finally see them come to life is a great feeling.

September 14th – A Circle of Shadows. I’ve been holding back this title for months, waiting to see if someone would ask me about its mention in Signs of Portents. Wondering if people noticed it sitting in the background when they read early iterations of Tales from Portents. This is the big finale to the first cycle.

Every time I close my eyes I see the pieces taking shape. I see each side of the conflict becoming more and more complex and developed. This won’t be like the first two full-length novels. This is bigger in scope and in cast.

There have been threats loose in Portents for longer than anyone has known.

And they are about to come to light.

Get ready.

Get excited. I know I am. Putting this series together (and laying the seeds for the next trilogy) has been one of the best things about the last year. (Don’t tell my kids that though…)

Thanks for reading.