I am hopelessly behind on writing up the Creole Part II post (for those awaiting it), much less other Spiritwalker related posts I have titled or partially sketched out like the one discussing how The Taming of the Shrew influenced the series, or the one about Place Names in Europa and how most of them aren’t made up, or the one about the greetings in Cold Magic (& how they’re not my invention), or the one discussing some of the choices I made in Cold Fire regarding Cat’s behavior as a post titled “Cat Alone.” Also additional posts I have partially written on subjects such as world building and writing and so on.

The main reason I haven’t gotten any of these posts finished is that I’ve been working to complete a first draft of a YA (Young Adult) fantasy which I’m writing for my own reasons, to see how it goes and if I can manage it. Which I have now done: A first draft of  of volume one comes in at 125,000 words (that’s like a novella when you average 175,000 – 200,000 words per volume!) and I am revising it to send to my agent. Then we shall see. It is set in a secondary world and is not really based on anything else but as a pitch line I’m calling it Little Women meets Count of Monte Cristo in a world inspired by Greco-Roman Egypt.

Other news:

I have a story in a forthcoming anthology of epic fantasy themed short stories, Fearsome Journeys (edited by Jonathan Strahan) to be published May 2013.

Here’s the table of contents:

• “The Effigy Engine: A Tale of the Red Hats” by Scott Lynch
• “Amethyst, Shadow, and Light” by Saladin Ahmed
• “Camp Follower” by Trudi Canavan
• “The Dragonslayer of Merebarton” by K.J. Parker
• “Leaf and Branch and Grass and Vine” by Kate Elliott
• “Spirits of Salt: A Tale of the Coral Sword” by Jeffrey Ford
• “Forever People” by Robert V.S. Redick
• “Sponda the Suet Girl and the Secret of the French Pearl” by Ellen Klages
• “Shaggy Dog Bridge: A Black Company Story” by Glen Cook
• “The Ghost Makers” by Elizabeth Bear
• “One Last, Great Adventure” by Ellen Kushner & Ysabeau Wilce
• “The High King Dreaming” by Daniel Abraham

In the UK, as I have already mentioned, all seven of the Crown of Stars volumes are now available as e-books. The first three are available as e-book editions in the USA (no timetable for volumes 4 – 7 that I have been told). I’m not sure about Australia/NZ (if you have been able to purchase an ebook of one of the Crown of Stars volumes in Australia or NZ, please let me know).

I hope to be able to have some good news to report soon regarding e-book versions of the Novels of the Jaran as well as the Highroad Trilogy and The Labyrinth Gate.

Cold Steel is still scheduled for June 25, 2013 . . . . slowly getting closer.

Since I have not managed much value-added in my post, if you have a question to ask me about any of my books, about writing or any related subject, or about something else, feel free to do so here. And I will answer.