In case you were wondering, my latest writing project (codenamed Firebrand) is moving along slowly, but still making progress.
I’m currently just shy of 46,000 words, which is more than a third of the way to my goal for the book. 🙌
HOWEVER, my ever-evolving plans have changed from what I typically do: rather than releasing Book 1 when it’s finished, I intend to write all three books and publish them close together. This is what the pros call “rapid release” and it should help boost the visibility and interest levels for the series. I hope to have the trilogy done by Summer 2022.
I know that means a longer wait for my readers, but there is hope in the meantime! I’ve already started some beta-reading of the first dozen or so chapters, and I could always use more input as I get farther along in my writing process. If you’d like a sneak preview of some polished chapters, let me know and I’ll see if we can work something out.
If you’re just curious what the new series is all about, here’s a hastily thrown-together blurb!
A family, torn apart by an empire, fights their way across the world to reunite.
Pierce and Rhiannon Manseala live a quiet life with their children outside a small but bustling village. When an official comes from the Capital to set up a school in their impoverished region, the family is skeptical. With some convincing, Pierce agrees to send Quinn, his only son, with some other village boys and their fathers to see what this new education might look like.
That’s the last they ever saw of Quinn.
In one awful morning, the Manseala family is driven from their home, barely escaping with their lives. They are forced to split up if they want any hope of getting back together.
Who can they trust and where will they find safety? How long can they keep ahead of danger? And to what lengths will each family member go to protect each other — and their secrets?
Firebrand is the first book in this forthcoming fantasy trilogy which follows the struggles and triumphs of one family caught up in the relentless gears of an empire.
M. J. Lau 