January Writing Update: Sullivan's War Begins!

Sergeant Riley's Account has been out a little over two weeks now. I think sales are decent and unless they completely drop off I think it will remain on the Amazon Science Fiction Series Bestsellers List, increasing exposure. It is a Prologue to the series Sullivan's War and as such is independent of the main story line. It is a complete story in and of itself and both Sergeant Riley's Account and Sullivan's War can be read independent of one another. However, reading Sergeant Riley's Account beforehand will help flesh out the universe in which Sullivan's War takes place.

Regarding Sullivan's War, Part I of the series, All Good Men Serve the Devil, will be out on January 20. This is when I hope sales will really take off. A work called a "Prologue," after all, does not sound as engaging to a reader as a "Part I." It is currently in the hands of my wonderful beta readers and I have already received a very encouraging response from one of them. Part I ended up coming in at around 33,000 words, which translates into about 130 printed pages. Yes, this is short, but I am looking at the entire series as a novel-length endeavor. My goal for the Prologue along with Parts I-III is 80-90,000 words, or 320-360 pages. Hardly epic, I know, but this is partially intentional. I want the series to be fast-paced and exciting; I want the reader left wanting more and actively looking for the release of the next part in the series. I also want it to have a serial feel and the goal is for Parts II and III to be released in March and May. You will not have to wait too long to find out what happens next!

On January 1 I began working on Sullivan's War: Part II - A City Without Walls. This will wrap up several storylines begun in Part I and will prepare you for the exciting conclusion to the series, Edaline's Dawn.

On another topic, I have decided--after writing out my goals for 2012--to bring my novel Chrysopteron to completion this year. Look for it after Part III of Sullivan's War. There is also the possibility for a new series at the end of the year and running through the beginning of 2013. This is still unformed but I have a general idea of where I want that series to go.

In closing, I would like to refer you to my special offer. If you read Sergeant Riley's Account and leave a review on Amazon I will send you Part I of Sullivan's War for free. I hope many of you choose to take advantage of this offer.

Please go here to read about and purchase Sergeant Riley's Account. Watch this page for Sullivan's War: Part I - All Good Men Serve the Devil.

Thank you again to all my friends and fans! Together I hope we can make 2012 an exciting year for science fiction!

Best,
Michael