February 20, 2024
Re: Book 3 of Dragon Prophecy
I am pleased to announce that Book Three now has a title and a publication date.
Dragon Prophecy #3: Deliverance of Dragons: The Art of War will be published by Tor Books on May 27, 2025.
I know it's fifteen months from now, but a regular revision-and-production cycle is about 12 months, so we're pretty much in the groove. I haven't seen any revision requests yet, and much as I hope they will bow to my greatness and publish it as it stands, I'm not holding my breath on that. And the longer they delay in asking for revisions, the more I'll have to scramble. We'll see.
Hey, at least it's news, right?
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Published on February 20, 2024 13:14
November 23, 2023
Happy American Thanksgiving to All Who Celebrate
I see I posted this in entirely the wrong place and most of you won't have seen it. Ah well. Copypasta to the rescue.
A happy day to you all, and I hope it is spent with the family and friends you wish.
No further word on the Dragon Prophecy IX book, but I'm a third of the way through an English Civil War book and making good time. I don't actually expect to hear a peep out of Tor before February, but they could surprise me.
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Published on November 23, 2023 14:32
September 14, 2023
ANNOUNCEMENT
I would like to announce that on Monday the completed book, whatever its final title turns out to be, was turned in to my agent, who will turn it in to my editor.
There will be a revision cycle, then a production cycle, then the book will be scheduled. It could be as short as a year, or as long as... well, let's don't jinx this. There can be some insane holdups when a book misses its delivery date. It's like cogs in a machine, really.
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Published on September 14, 2023 15:07
August 24, 2023
My It's Been A Long Time
I see from my posts that it has been a shockingly long time since I did anything like keep you in the loop. I blame this on the fact that March, April, and part of May were spent going in and out of the hospital, and the rest of May and much of June was spent packing to move.
None of these activities, you will note, leaves time or energy to write.
All of which is my craven and deeply apologetic way of explaining why the book isn't done. It's extremely annoying to be 80 pages from the end in April and still there in August.
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Published on August 24, 2023 17:29
December 23, 2022
My goodness, how time flies. And a Happy Christmas to all
Here is your Christmas surprise: S. has okayed the ending "since you like it so much", so we can bang our way through the rest of the book once we get hold of a Jabberwock, some pruning shears, a plum cake, and a copy of Perry Como's Holiday Hits.
The earliest the book will hit the streets is 2024, but I could be wrong about that...
Onward! We all know what I've been doing (writing), except for December when I was laid up by 'flu or the latest vax. Better the vax than the 'rona, I think.
Fortunately I'd bought my gifts many months ago. Unfortunately, the same did not hold true of my cards. And so you see me here scrambling with what ought to be serene and leisurely updates (and aren't). But I thought you would like to know that DP3 is closer to being done and in editorial hands.
Where they will instantly ask for cuts. The msp will run 800 pages or more.
Best to you all, happiness, and good cheer.
James
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Published on December 23, 2022 18:03
October 13, 2022
October Update From Tor
Okay so... S finally called my agent! And said she'd read the pages Previous Editor had read. And... in a stunning turn of events that will be a surprise to practically nobody, said she needs a "clearer" draft of the outline of the end. So I whipped that together, cleared up the account slippage at the end, and Agent said it was a thing well and good.
No word about how S likes it. She's back under the cone of silence.
But the longer she leaves me out here on the playground by myself, the more I am going to write without editorial oversight, and the more unhappy I will be when asked to cut it. We'll see.
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Published on October 13, 2022 19:40
September 13, 2022
Random Comments Page
No news from Tor, alas. I'm starting this new thread because otherwise things get tangled, even though I do see them. I am entering the last 50,000 words of the book. Here's a taste:
______________________________________________________________________
"Are you mad?" the voice from the darkness demanded, sounding astonished. "Do you not know I could destroy you in an eyeblink? Why aren't you afraid of me?"
("Because we can't see you," muttered Runacar.)
"Destruction is easy," Vieliessar said. "My people spent many years waging war upon our own kind. We covered the ground with the dead from our wars, and killing was our pleasure and sport. We thought ourselves masters of the world until the Endarkened came. They kill as easily as they breathe, and we have no force that can withstand them. If I had known I would have to argue with Leutric's weapon, I think I would not have bothered to come."
"'Weapon'," the voice said, sounding insulted. "You do not even know what I am." Suddenly the cloud of Silverlight above Vieliessar's head flared brighter than flame, vanished, and the chamber walls began to give off a bright blue-green glow.
"I, Children of Stars, am a dragon."
#
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Published on September 13, 2022 18:24
September 3, 2022
merlinscribe @ 2022-09-03T16:14:00
Does anyone remember offhand what the Elvish for "volcano" is before I have to spend half a day searching for it?
Also, somewhere in Book 1 (I think) is an explanation of how Lightborn learn Magery, and I would like to find the exact wording. It goes something like "they learn the spell by perceiving it (in the mind of another Lightborn?) and thereafter know the spell and thus can cast it". This explains why there are so many incompetent Lightborn out there.
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Published on September 03, 2022 16:18
July 18, 2022
Meet The New Boss
My new editor has been ignoring me. Sound familiar? So anyway, Misty and I have decided just to go straight ahead and finish the book and hand it over. I expect to turn it in by the end of summer, if all goes well on this end. Maybe she'll be thrilled and delighted and put it immediately into production. I wouldn't hold my breath, though.
Wish the news was better.
Meanwhile, there's a new/old deleted scene from TO LIGHT A CANDLE over at the Library:
https://merlinscribe-library.dreamwidth.org/1973.html
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Published on July 18, 2022 19:55
April 27, 2022
Dragon Prophecy 3: The Art of War. Another confusing update
I am reminded I have been dilatory in sharing the current news about Dragon Prophecy 3. TLDR: this is likely to push the publication date further into the future.
Here we go...
At the beginning of April, I received shocking news. My long-time editor at Tor (and no fan of the Obsidian books) had left the company. The books have been assigned to a new editor, who (potentially; I haven't spoken to her in depth yet), will be a fan of the genre and be a booster for the series.
I don't know much of anything right now. I don't know if New Editor is going to accept the new ending of the book. I don't know how much clout they have in-house. I don't know how the pre-pub process (editorial revisions, copyedit, copyedit check) is going to go with the series under new management. Of course I hope New Editor will adore the books and back my vision for big sprawling epics that do deep-dives into all corners of Jer-a-kaliel.
It's early days yet. We'll see. I'll keep you posted.
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Published on April 27, 2022 11:44
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