Hi! This is Ran, son of the curse breaker (Sarn), and I’m back with another packed update. It’s been a rollercoaster of a week with some tough news and some big changes. But as always, it wouldn’t be an adventure without a few twists and turns! (And these twists could turn out okay in the future. I’ve got my fingers crossed!)
Let’s dive into what’s been happening.
The Good News!
Robin of Larkspur Special Edition Kickstarter
We’re thrilled to announce that all the special edition books have been delivered! 🎉 Thank you so much to everyone who supported this project. Your enthusiasm and faith made this possible, and we’re so grateful to have you along for the journey.
The Proof Copies Are Here!
The proof copies of the His Angelic Keeper Illustrated Omnibus Editions arrived, and they are absolutely stunning! (And affordable too.)
Here’s what’s been delivered:
His Angelic Keeper: Books 1–2 Illustrated Omnibus
His Angelic Keeper: Books 3–4 Illustrated Omnibus
Melinda is in love with how these turned out, and I might be too. We can’t wait for you to see them! The kickstarter will launch sometime in May.
Chaos Rises Cover Poll Results Are In
A huge thank you to everyone who voted in last week’s poll! 🗳️ The green angel cover was the fan favorite. So that will be the cover for the illustrated version of Chaos Rises. You can also get the not illustrated version as well in the coming kickstarter.
Melinda has already updated the design, and she ordered a proof copy! Stay tuned for when it arrives.
Catch the Scribe: Should It Be Illustrated?
The editing for Catch the Scribe is moving along and might even finish this week! But before Melinda wraps that up, she needs to know what to do next. So we need your input.
If we do an illustrated edition, I told Melinda that must include some original photography of the real places mentioned since it takes place partially in the real world.
And I get to pick the pictures from her camera roll that get used. That’s not up for debate. She didn’t argue with me so that means she agrees. :)
YOUR vote will decide whether this story gets illustrated. So cast your vote!
An Unexpected Twist
Buckle up! This week was a bumpy one.
While Melinda did her best to focus on editing, writing, and working for her day job, she didn’t get as much done as she wanted to because last week threw a lot of curveballs her way.
As her loyal (and understanding!) character, I’m not complaining about that because how could anyone have done better given the circumstances? This is me *not* complaining. See? I’m being supportive! :)
The Sad News
Unfortunately, Melinda is facing some major, unexpected life changes.
Last Monday, she had to say goodbye to friends and colleagues she’s worked with for over 15 years, as many of them were unexpectedly let go. Then, just one day later, Melinda found out she would be let go too though not that day thank God.
She now has an anticipated end date for her job.
This was a complete shock for Melinda. After spending 15 years in the same role, she now has to figure out what to do next and where to go from here. And I don’t know how to help with that. :(
Melinda hasn’t searched for a new job in 15 years, so she’s not even sure where to start.
Do you still send out resumes? Is that a thing still? Curious characters want to know.
Right now though, we need to put together a plan so Melinda continues to have a roof over her head. I’ve heard it’s a tough market, and I’m trying not worry about my scribe’s chances. But at the same time, I can’t help worrying.
Melinda is an introvert and the job she’s losing pays all her bills. So it’s scary to think about what will happen when those paychecks stop coming. How will she pay those bills?
I know worrying won’t help my scribe. So I’m putting on cloak and trying to figure out what you pack for a quest to find another job. Suggestions are always welcome.
What Does This All Mean?
Well, obviously more books. Was there ever any doubt about that?
Melinda will need hang out with us characters more and how could she do that without writing about our adventures?
So I’ll make sure she writes about us. After all, that’s what I do best. 😊
What Will She Write?
This is the updated plan for now:
First up: Continue writing Book Battles
This is the sequel to Catch the Scribe, and Melinda started writing it last week. She’ll continue diving into this story with my help of course.
You can read Book Battles as Melinda writes it on Patreon or Substack. Become a patron or upgrade your Substack membership to read Book Battles. Melinda is committed to writing and posting 4 chapters a week despite all the upheavals at work. You can read the first chapter on Substack now:
After that, she will write the sequel to Book Battles instead of switching back to the sequel for Chaos Rises.
Melinda decided to stay in the Tales of the Curse Breaker in NY series that pulls together all our early newsletter adventures since the next one takes place partially at her current employer.
After that, she’ll write Storm Spells, book 3 in the Curse Breaker’s Companion series for the same reason. A good chunk of the story takes place in New Rochelle, NY where she currently works, and there’s this fun chase sequence where we have to escape from her office and then from New Rochelle!
If you’ve been here a while, you may recall that story which started in our March 2018 newsletters. It was based on real events when a particularly bad storm struck the east coast. But we’ll be trying to outrun more a dangerous foe than a storm but the storm will still be there.
Why the Change?
The untitled sequel to Book Battles and Storm Spells all take place in and around her day job. Melinda realized that after her employment officially ends, it will be too painful to write about that chapter of her life and the friends who will also be let go.
So she must write it now! I don’t make the rules. I just enforce them. :)
So I’ll get lots of page time, and you’ll get fun stories. It’s really all about you though. The page time is just a nice bonus. (But we all know I want that too.)
By writing these stories now, Melinda can preserve the memories from time in her life. It’s a kind of tribute and a way to say goodbye to one chapter while celebrating the stories it inspired. We hope you understand why this shift in priorities is so important to my scribe.
How You Can Help
If you’re wondering how to support Melinda during this difficult time, you can:
Take our polls! Your vote decides whether stories like Catch the Scribe gets an illustrated edition.
Share your excitement about upcoming projects with other readers.
Review our books! And recommend them to your friends and request them at your local library.
Be the wonderful, supportive community you’ve always been. We see and appreciate you more than we can say. And if you know of a position that could use our scribe’s project management skills, recommended her!
Thank you for being part of our journey. You mean the world to us, and you keep us going.
Until next time, this is Ran, son of Sarn, writing on behalf of my traumatized scribe, Melinda Kucsera
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