Time waits for no author and the months are flying by. I am currently working on the Balar series and I am trying to get the next installment to you as fast as I can. There are many monsters to unleash and secrets to uncover…
What follows is a brief update on my writing progress.
The Next Installment
As mentioned before, the Balar series comprises of three short story installments and a final novel (more on the latter below). To ensure that all the narrative threads are tied up and everything makes sense, I am writing book 2-4 at the same time. Everything is already worked out and a large chunk of it has been drafted (and feverishly rewritten).
As such, I am targeting an April release of the next installment, The Doom of Balar. There will be a concrete date and more information closer to this date (including a cover reveal and pre-order details).
Much like the first installment, the Curse of Balar, there will be thirteen short stories and a bonus poem. In Curse, Iris formed the connective tissue between the stories. I was rather happy with this device. The trouble is that, because of Iris’s predicament [spoilers], these segments required a limitation – in other words, there were things that she could not know and things that she had to perceive in a certain way.
In Doom, the “connective” character (it’s a wonky term, I know) is one Inspector Skender. He is the one tasked with catching the Tailor, Balar’s own serial killer (he/she is mentioned in Curse, did you spot him/her?). It is the Inspector’s job to be informed about the goings on of Balar. As such, he may provide extra insight and a foundational understanding of the town – an element that might have been too obscure in the first installment.
I will provide a preview of Doom once I confirm the release date. For now, I can say that if you have a fear of spiders, the dark, the Whisper Man, bats, and strangers bearing gifts, this might be a scary one…
About that Balar Novel
In detailing the structure of the fourth installment (i.e. the novel), I have realized that there is a lot of story. I may have to split it into two parts (making it a five book series instead). This is purely to avoid a bloated final product.
The thing is that there are two major plot threads to resolve in the novel. I worry that they may interfere with each other. Yes, I know that I am speaking in the abstract here. This is in an effort to avoid spoilers. At the moment, the single entity feels like a game of two halves: part 1 the big fight and part 2 the big reveal – each with a conclusion.
While I haven’t made a final decision yet, it is starting to feel like two separate books. I will make an official announcement after Doom is completed.
Other Projects
While most of my time is being absorbed by the Balar series, I am still working on other projects. Reverie – the project that gave rise to the seed of this one – is in need of a second draft. There is something special about this Gothic Horror Fantasy – I can feel it each time I go back to it. It crackles like lightning. It is all planned out and ready, it just needs to be written out as a readable narrative.
It is going to be a big one…
I have not forgotten about the Bright Report. Volume 4 and 5 are slowly coming alive. Is it jarring to go back and forth between comedy and horror? Yes. But, the Bright Report helps be free myself from the Doom and Gloom occasionally. The next few installments might have to wait until I fully exorcise Balar from my system.
More information as Volume 4 nears completion. Be sure to subscribe to the blog or follow me on Goodreads so you never miss a post.
Other than that, I have many ideas that are sprouting in the backlot of my mind. One of which is a Magical Realism story – a genre (if you could call it that) that has always been close to my heart. Yes, I know, too many genres – I will never find an audience! As things stand, this book may be my NaNoWriMo challenge for 2024, but more on that later.
The sequel to The Silent Symphony is also (slowly) marching forward. I have something of an outline and several loose pieces of a draft. This one will need a lot more time in the oven.
How It Is Going
Sales for the Curse of Balar have been fairly okay. It is – to date – my best selling publication! Perhaps horror may be my genre. Only time will tell.
There has also been a resurgence in the first volume of the Bright Report. Not entirely sure how or why, but thank you to those who have shown an interest. Note that you can read a FREE introductory story to the series here.
Also, please know that I greatly value feedback on my work. I try to write things that I as a reader would enjoy, so it helps to know what I am doing right/wrong.
Until next time, keep writing!
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